


𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎! [𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚔𝚢𝚞𝚞!! 𝚟𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜]

by himitsukki



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Multi, will add more pairings along the way!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 85,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24841111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/himitsukki/pseuds/himitsukki
Summary: [𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚔𝚢𝚞𝚞!! 𝚟𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚡 𝚏𝚎𝚖!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛]separated from your childhood friends kuroo tetsurou and kozume kenma in high school, the three of you keep close by constantly chatting one another in a group chat.out of curiosity, one day the nekoma male volleyball team secretly steals their captain's phone, obtaining your username and adding you to a secret group chat! after learning that their captain likes you, they use it as blackmail, telling him they'll expose his long-kept secret affection for you! but surprise, surprise! because along the way...everyone falls, if not yet fallen, for you too.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Reader, Haikyuu/Reader, Kageyama Tobio/Reader, Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader, Nishinoya Yuu/Reader, Oikawa Tooru/Reader, Sugawara Koushi/Reader, Tsukishima Kei/Reader
Comments: 108
Kudos: 325





	1. 𝚘 𝚗 𝚎  ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

**april 12, friday**

it's only been a few days since your second year of high school started. like previous years, you remained bored and inattentive during class, opting to participate in the group chat you have with your childhood friends, kuroo tetsurou and kozume kenma, with the former being active 25/8 (nothing new) and the latter being AFK (nothing new as well).

although both of you belong to college preparatory classes, you routinely chat one another during class as you both easily get bored when not doing anything. kuroo is a volleyball idiot, and you're a bit of a gaming idiot (with the throne rightfully belonging to none other than _kenma;_ you're a bonafide idiot, regardless).

unlike you two, kenma is able to control himself from doing anything in class... kind of. it's more like he's scared that whatever gaming console he'll bring to school will get taken away if he uses it inside his classroom, so he exercises himself by refraining from playing during class, and instead, just 'listens' to the teacher (or, in ~~some~~ most cases, dozes off peacefully at his desk in the back).

in extreme cases, you resolve to video chatting with mute sound, having an unspoken competition on who can make the other laugh in class by making silly faces to one another, as if the two of you are still children and _not_ nearing adulthood because you're both _definitely_ ready to be adults doing adult things (whatever that is); but today, you were just chatting silently. in particular, the nekoma male volleyball captain was telling you an embarrassing story on your other childhood friend and his teammate.

**[bedhead]**

his snot was seriously all over my hands 

it was gross

thank god our libero acts as our mom and has tissues with him always

or else i might've return his snot back where it belonged

**[flowerhead]**

first of all, eew

second, ur libero is cute

third, kenma's gonna kill u when he sees this lolol

**[bedhead]**

it's fine

he's prob busy playing on his psp

or just sleeping in class lolol

**[flowerhead]**

but

doesn't he check the chat before practice?

**[bedhead]**

yea

but don't worry

he won't kill me lolol

his skinny ass can't do anything to my perfect body

**[flowerhead]**

'perfect' lolol

as if

ur abs were non existent when we went to the beach

**[bedhead]**

that was 7 months ago!!

i've been training hard

unlike someone

i'll gladly send u a pic if u want kitten ;)

if u want, u can come and inspect it urself ;)

**[flowerhead]**

oh i'd love to ;) 

i'll have to fact check with kotarou tho

i know y'all secretly met up last week!!

how dare u not invite me

i'm mad

grr

**[bedhead]**

aww kitten's gone feral

want me to tame you? ;)

i'll def take care of u ;)

kitten?

kitteeeen?

**[bedhead]**

oya

did u get mad at me

it's been 7 minutes...

**[bedhead]**

come back [name] i'm sorry :((

i miss u :((

**[flowerhead]**

chill

i had to hide my phone for a sec

my tetsurou misses me :')

i miss u too bedhead

**[bedhead]**

grr i still can't get rid of it

should i put gel in my hair?

should i change my sleeping position?

help me

**[flowerhead]**

dnot

stOP

NO!!

i'll hate u if u change ur hair

i love ur bedhead :((

**[bedhead]**

i won't change it then

if u love it so much

u can come see my bedhead anytime ;)

anything for u, kitten ;)

**[flowerhead]**

g2g teacher's gonna give a quiz

 **we love head** is now offline

* * *

the bell rings, signifying the end of classes and the start of club activities for those belonging in one. you haven't told the two yet, but you joined the karasuno male volleyball team as a co-manager and medic since last year.

dreaming to become a doctor in the future, you've read and learned about any medical information in your spare time, even enrolling in a training class last summer to earn a certificate for completing first aid training. your goal for this year is to be able to respond quickly and help your team so that you minimize their injuries and accelerate their healing process.

just after changing into your usual white shirt and school track pants in the girl's bathroom near the gym, you slipped on your team jacket and quickly head over to the school's second gym. you sat down on the edge of the stage, waiting for the rest of the players to come. _there's still time before practice starts_ , you thought.

you set down your notebook and flip it to the latest page: a journal-like format containing information and statistics of the school's current players, as well as the names of the new recruits. _note to self, ask the first years for their basic data when i see them next time._ while skimming through the contents of the page, you hear the familiar _ding!_ from your phone and check to see kenma finally active. 

**we love head** is now online

**[puddinghead]**

kuro i will murder u

**[bedhead]**

oh rlly

u and what muscle

lolol

**[puddinghead]**

what do you mean

i have muscle

**[bedhead]**

no u dont

**[puddinghead]**

yes i do

**[bedhead]**

no u dont

**[puddinghead]**

i do

**[bedhead]**

u dont

**[puddinghead]**

i do

**[bedhead]**

no

u dont

period

**[flowerhead]**

ily guys and all

but will y'all stop

spamming

the

damn

chat

╥﹏╥

**[puddinghead]**

look who's talking

i'm kidding

dw [nickname]

i still won't send u red shells in mario kart

**[flowerhead]**

i knew it

ur the best kenma!!

my favorite bby

don't tell tetsu

its a secret ;)

**[puddinghead]**

who likes kuro anyway

i have a pic where he looks like a toe

he really looks so weird

i'll send it to u

**[bedhead]**

i'm lit right here u know

i can see u

**[flowerhead]**

omg yes pls!!

ily kenma :')

**[bedhead]**

i thought u only loved me

i thought we were real, [name]

:'((

u betray me

**[flowerhead]**

ngl

u deserved this

without me, kenma has to deal with u alone

poor bby

**[bedhead]**

how dare u

i've always been a kind person

and this is how u repay me

**[bedhead]**

oya

hello?

**[bedhead]**

guys

u didn't have to give me the silent treatment

**[flowerhead]**

sorry

busy looking at the [pic](https://66.media.tumblr.com/60ed47a1581d914662c47dcc3fe47e1f/tumblr_pmddnj3I9w1tnbbg0_400.jpg) kenma sent me

u were saying?

**[bedhead]**

u hurt me

i'll forgive u if u come here and hug me ;)

and maybe we can cuddle later ;)

**[flowerhead]**

oya 

k then

i'll just magically appear next to u

even tho we're five hours apart

:((

**[bedhead]**

it's only 2 hours by train!!

i'll come to u then kitten

who needs practice anyway

♡ ┐(Wヮ￣)┌ ♡

**[puddinghead]**

i can't believe you're our captain

dumbass kuro

while you were busy chatting with the two, you didn't notice sugawara and tanaka enter the venue and take place near where you're sitting. they greet you a good afternoon, making you look up from your phone.

you returned their greetings with a smile and quickly sent a few messages to wrap up your conversation with your childhood friends. sugawara steps in close to your side, leaning down slightly so his head is resting against your shoulder; tanaka, on the other hand, mindlessly combs through your hair, his eyelids routinely closing along with the slight falling of his head, but he's trying his best to keep himself awake.

**[flowerhead]**

that's my bedhead :') ♡ 

i habe to go

kenma don't forget our game night later!!

dob't injure urselves

or else i'll break ur bones

love u both

laterz O/

**[bedhead]**

i love you too

see ya later kitten O/

 **we love head** is now offline

just as daichi enters the gym, the two volleyball players in front of you step away from you and yawn. the team captain comes over to your little circle, wordlessly nodding to you his salutations before commenting on the duo's weary energy. 

"you guys seem pretty tired." the duo freezes with the sound of their captain's suspecting voice from behind them. they turn around with anxious faces, fidgeting and slightly shivering under his all-knowing, observant stare.

"ah, really? i guess i studied too hard...?" the third year [pretty boy] setter excuses, laughing nervously; his left arm is on the back of his head, combing through his fluffy hair to calm his nerves a bit. on the other hand, the second year wing spiker to sugawara's right freezes when daichi's stare is focused on him, making him stammer his excuse. 

"u-uh, mine's from studying, too." tanaka laughs awkwardly. suga panics with his excuse, loudly whispering to him _there's no way you'd be doing that!,_ to which tanaka lets out a scared sound from the back of his throat. you chuckle at their exchange, finding their fearful expressions cute. 

they both anticipate their captain's scolding, aware of the possibility that he probably already knows that the duo are lying to him, but to their surprise, daichi lets the situation go.

"well, whatever. let me introduce to you the first years who will be joining as of today." 

with the captain's vocal signal, a pair of tall students still dressed in their _[gakuran](https://i.pinimg.com/474x/43/72/f0/4372f0698ab7d2c8131619dd10e4ed7d.jpg)_ uniforms step into the circle the four of you have made. the taller one with short blonde hair and black glasses smirks at the duo's surprised faces. _he may be our tallest player since asahi_ , you noted to yourself. _i'll have to ask him his height and basic information later on._

"nice to meet you," he greets politely, but the tone and the look on his face tells you that he's aware of the aura he gives out. 

shortly after their introductions, you introduce yourself as well before asking them their basic information such as height and weight. you tell them to come here tomorrow morning, since you routinely update your information on the player's basic stats twice per year: at the start of the school year, and near the middle, right after the summer vacation, since they're able to practice nonstop during that time period, thus there's bound to be an update for your journal.

the first year giant duo walks away after your conversation, along with daichi. the circle (or should you say triangle... ?) returns back to you, sugawara and tanaka, and they both comment freely their first impressions on their new teammates.

tanaka lets out a _tch_ , his expression turning sour as he watches the backs of the first years. you get off the stage, leaving your notebook, as you help the two with their warm up stretches. tanaka adjusts and fixes his shoelaces as he voices out his thoughts, "what the heeeck. i don't like those new first years one bit!"

"you usually don't like people when you first meet them though. it's like a habit of yours." the vice captain comments, stretching his arms and shoulders. the second year next to him asks to himself ' _habit...?'_ as he looks at his _senpai_ questioningly.

"hmm, koushi-senpai's correct though, ryuu-kun," you say to your fellow second year. 

"still..." suga continues, "the ones who came here are better than i'd expected..." he glances to the doors of the gym, referring to the other first year duo who arrived earlier than the duo who arrived just today. "will things be okay tomorrow?"

"i-it'll be fine!" tanaka stands up and pumps his fisted hand to his chest. he looks nervous and his voice sounds unsure, but knowing the wing spiker, he's doing it to convince and cheer himself up. "those guys have me on their side, after all!"

"that's true, and kageyama, too." while you help them with their stretches, they continue to talk about kageyama, the so-called "king of the court".

although the name they gave him sounds renowned and grand, you, along with the team, were aware of the reason why he's given that title. you hope that the first year genius setter will be able to overcome his doubts and develop into a player the team is able to work with and rely on comfortably, for the sake of achieving the team's goal of going to nationals this year.

but even then, you have a great feeling that the team will spread its wings and soar high this year. 

* * *

with your phone on silent and firmly tucked in the zipped pocket of your track pants, you were able to focus on the team's usual practice, quickly jotting down your observations on their forms and their plays. while this was mainly the job for the older manager of the team, shimizu kiyoko, she had informed you earlier in the week that she had other duties to take care of, such as washing and altering the club tracksuits for the newbies and gathering information about other teams; thus, you took on her other duties as a co-manager. 

after practice, you cleaned up the gym and stored away the ball carts in the storage at the side of the gym. while closing up, you felt the constant rhythmic vibrations on your right thigh, surely from your phone being blown up with notifications from the two tokyo boys. however, you didn't expect to be added to a new group chat, much less with people you didn't know.

* * *

meanwhile, almost 400 kilometers away from you, the nekoma male volleyball captain is being betrayed by his fellow teammates; his ~~unfairly~~ taller, more inexperienced _kouhai_ is sitting on top of him, rendering him motionless as the weight bears him flushed down to the ground. fighting to move away, he's unable to do much as his hands are locked behind him by the very same person on top of him; he can only yell out his curses for his teammates as he sees them exit the gym during one of their precious break times.

"you got his phone?" their libero, yaku morisuke, asks the group. the first year wing spiker, inuoka suo, grins and holds up the said phone in his hands. quickly, the group rounds a corner and gathers in a small circle, huddled against each others' sides as they break into their captain's phone.

the second year ace of the team, yamamoto taketora, hums questioningly, "does anyone have an idea what his password is?"

wordlessly, kai noboyuki, their vice captain and fellow wing spiker, takes hold of the phone and presses a series of numbers, unlocking kuroo's phone. the group praises him in hushed whispers, their excitement rising and their curiosity peaking. opening his recent apps, they quickly found themselves face-to-face with a group chat about... _heads?_

"p..pudding head?" shibayama yuuki, the first year libero, asks the group. "isn't this kenma?"

"didn't kuroo-senpai mention that he has another childhood friend?" teshiro tamahiko, a first year setter, asks the team. they respond with mixed reactions, with some agreeing while some (yaku) asks a rhetorical question: " _who listens to him?_ ".

scrolling quickly through the conversation thread, they were all quick to point out how frequently the two of you chat one another, and how, more than often, their captain replies in a flirtatious manner. it doesn't help them since you respond in your own flirtatious manner as well, seemingly comfortable and used to their captain's teasing behavior. could it be....

"we all know that kuroo's a flirty douche..."

"but..."

"this is way beyond what we expected..."

"are you saying..."

"is it possible..."

.... that their captain likes this girl?

as if sharing the same braincell, they simultaneously look at one another with knowing looks and smirks, one thought appearing in all of their heads. 

* * *

**[yaku morisuke]** created the group

 **[kai nobuyuki]** has been added

 **[yamamoto taketora]** has been added

 **[fukunaga shouhei]** has been added

 **[inuoka suo]** has been added

 **[teshiro tamahiko]** has been added

 **[haiba lev]** has been added

 **[shibayama yuuki]** has been added

[ **lastname firstname]** has been added

 **neko nyaan** is now online

**[yamamoto taketora]**

HELL YEA!!!

WITH THIS WE CAN DEAL WITH OUR PAIN IN THE ASS CAPTAIN

**[yaku morisuke]**

it's payback time

**[shibayama yuuki]**

if he finds out about this

you're treating us to ramen yaku-senpai

**[yaku morisuke]**

that's way too much!!

**[inuoka suo]**

plsss!!

we'll guard lev while u train him!!

he won't escape us i swear!!

**[lastname firstname]**

uhh

hi?

i must have been mistakenly added hehe

**[yaku morisuke]**

hi [lastname]-san!

we're kuroo's teammates

**[lastname firstname]**

oh!!

well this explains the neko in the group name lolol

hiyaa i'm tetsu and kenma's childhood friend 

(◕ㅅ◕✿)

**[haiba lev]**

HIIIII~

OMG i still cant believe captain has a girl friend!!

omg

i'm talking to a girl...

o///o

**[lastname firstname]**

heyo hehe

so

what can i do for y'all

**[yaku morisuke]**

oh nothin much

we just wanna get dirt on our captain

and i think u have the perfect role for that

**[inuoka suo]**

lolol we're so dead

captain's gonna kill us 

**[shibayama yuuki]**

lolol

not if we kill him first

(*≧∀≦*)

**[yamamoto taketora]**

you use emoticons??

shocking

**[kai nobuyuki]**

calm down

we should introduce ourselves first

it's rude to [lastname]-san

**[haiba lev]**

I'M HAIBA LEV!!

I'M GONNA BE THE FUTURE ACE OF NEKOMA!!

**[yaku morisuke]**

lev you idiot

our names are displayed

let's just introduce our positions

i'm a third year, main libero

pleasure to be working with you, [lastname]-san!

**[inuoka suo]**

first year, wing spiker!!

nice to meet you!!

(`･ω･´)9

**[shibayama yuuki]**

first year, libero

i'll do my best!!

please take care of us!!

**[fukunaga shouhei]**

second year, wing spiker

nice to meet you

**[teshiro tamahiko]**

first year, setter/pinch server

**[yamamoto taketora]**

second year, wing spiker

i'm the ace of this team!!

lev has no chance in becoming the ace lolol

**[haiba lev]**

I JUST NEED MORE PRACTICE!!

I'LL BE THE ACE

JUST WAIT FOR IT SENPAI

**[lastname firstname]**

wait i'm getting confused

who are third years?

i'm only a second year, that's why...

pardon me 

(・・；)

**[kai nobuyuki]**

it's alright

yaku and i are third years

i'm also the vice captain

please excuse my team most times

**[haiba lev]**

then

we can set our nicknames now!!

 **[yaku morisuke]** changed to **[yakkun]**

 **[inuoka suo]** changed to **[inuocat]**

 **[yamamoto taketora]** changed to **[acetora]**

 **[haiba lev]** changed to **[tallnyan]**

 **[kai nobuyuki]** changed to **[vicecattain]**

 **[fukunaga shouhei]** changed to **[manekineko]**

 **[shibayama yuuki]** changed to **[shibanyama]**

 **[teshiro tamahiko]** changed to **[teshiin]**

**[inuocat]**

any dirt on captain or kenma?

**[acetora]**

blackmail material!!

finally!!

 **[lastname firstname]**

ofc i do!!

**[yakkun]**

tell us stories of kuroo or kenma

in exchange, we'll be your spy

we'll take pics of them if you want

**[tallnyan]**

[lastname]-san!!

u can change ur nickname too!!

**[lastname firstname]**

i haven't thought of any yet, haiba-san :((

i want it to be a neko pun fufufu

**[tallnyan]**

call me lev!!

both parties have blackmail material for embarrassing those two

IT'S A WIN-WIN!!

**[lastname firstname]**

tell me more about this plan of urs

i like where this is going (｀▽´)

* * *

**april 13, saturday**

the karasuno male volleyball team annual match with the new members ended with the kageyama, hinata and tanaka's victory against the taller first year duo and daichi. seeing the new quick attack (or " _freak quick"_ as some of the members had named it) gave you hope and made you excited for future matches. you can only imagine their faces and their reactions to the duo's attack... just thinking about it elevated your mood through the roof. _with this, we have a chance! we'll go to nationals with the third years!_

but, to even yourself, you have to admit and accept that the current team lacks a lot of things that make a team great and powerful; their receives and ground defense are sub par; blocks are only done executed impressively by kageyama and tsukishima; and, most importantly, the team is incomplete still. even though karasuno's libero, nishinoya yuu, is still on suspension, you're worried that he won't comeback because azumane asahi, karasuno's ace, hasn't shown up yet. 

your thoughts get interrupted when hinata and kageyama yells out for the captain's attention. you, along with others, turn to the duo as they approach daichi and hand them... crumpled papers? _are those supposed to be their club registration forms..?_

with a smile, daichi accepts their forms and hands it to kiyoko. "shimizu, _those_ already come in, right?"

the third year manager nods, turning around to look at you. you both exchange knowing nod, aware of what the captain is talking about. you jogged to the storage area, picking up a slightly heavy box and carrying it to where center of the court. you set it down and open it to reveal the club's jackets, freshly washed and altered approximately to fit their size. 

"the size will probably be fine, but tell me if there are any problems," kiyoko informs the two, who excitedly grabbed their jackets and put them on right away with flushed cheeks.

"thank you!" they expressed their gratitude. 

yamaguchi, the green haired first year who's always around tsukishima, picks his jacket up and wears it right away, like the quick duo. the only first year left who's yet to put the team jacket on is, none other than, tsukishima. 

the members pressure him to try his jacket on, and after giving them an exasperated expression, he reluctantly puts it on and lines up with the rest of the first years. on the sidelines, you open your phone, ignoring the constant buzzing of it, and take pictures of them ~~like a proud mother~~. the rest of the team lines up in front of the first years. 

"from now on," daichi starts. "let's do our best, as karasuno's volleyball club!"

the quick duo looks at each other, then yells out an " _osu!_ "enthusiastically. 

the team breaks up into smaller circles, and you find yourself with the rest of the third years. while the underclassmen talk to each other on the court, the four of you shy yourselves in the corner.

daichi lets out a relieved sigh. "things are... settled for now..." along with the other third years, you turn to look at your captain with questioning looks. "you and tanaka really managed to pull off all sorts of things, huh, suga?"

surprised and flustered, the vice captain lets out a squawk. "no, i mean, i didn't really do anything?!"

daichi brushes off suga's humble reply. "anyway, i'm glad things have been resolved. thanks."

you turn to look at the other third years, who also turn to look at you. with one thought in all of your minds, you praise the captain in your own ways; suga and kiyoko takes either side of daichi while you place yourself behind him. simultaneously, you all hit daichi: the two on his shoulders and you on his lower back. 

"good work."

"you did well, captain!"

"what the?! oi!"

in the background, the quick duo races to keep practicing, even though they just finished a match themselves. 

"geh! you're already moving around again?!" you turn to look at tanaka, sharing a tired look that's both on your faces. _what an_ _over-enthusiastic and overly energetic pair!_

while the two animatedly share their excitement, the doors of the gym slid open with a loud _bang!_ , revealing a disheveled and sweaty takeda ittetsu, the club's faculty advisor.   
"we're competing! it's all set up! the opponent is one of the prefecture's best four, aobajousai high school!"

your eyes widen at his words. 

_looks like we'll have a little reunion party, huh?_

* * *

e x t r a ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

* * *

after finishing your weekday game night (mandatory game night is saturday, kenma's rules), you excused yourself from the voice call to get ready for bed. it was nearing midnight; you restrained yourself from staying up further since you have a practice match to attend to tomorrow, and the other two probably have a half-day practice. 

while doing your nighttime skincare routine, you ignored the constant _ding!_ s from your phone, focusing on finishing your routine so you can get back to the conversation about kenma and his clothes he left in kuroo's room whenever they have a sleepover.

having finished your skincare **,** you exit your bathroom and snuggle up on your cozy bed, wrapping your arms around one of the fluffier pillows and lean against it with your head rubbing against it similar to how cat would. with your phone in hand, you skimmed through the one-sided chat you've missed out on while doing your nighttime routine.

**[bedhead]**

that's why i never gave it back to kenma lolol

**[puddinghead]**

majority of them are old hoodies 

so i'm fine with leaving them

**[flowerhead]**

confession

i think i actually have one

**[bedhead]**

wot

r u sure it's not mine?

**[flowerhead]**

i stole one from tetsu's wardrobe back then lolol

these are just slightly oversized for me

so i think these are kenma's

**[bedhead]**

u like it oversized, right?

i'll let you "borrow" one of mine then

**[flowerhead]**

don't need it

this hoodie is enough

**[bedhead]**

that's so unfair!!

why not mine, kitten?

**[puddinghead]**

how childish

that's not an important question

**[flowerhead]**

considering ure a whole foot taller than me

it'll end up as a long dress more than an oversized hoodie

so no

but also

speaking of important questions

when are we changing our nicknames

or our group name

**[bedhead]**

you wanna change it??

**[flowerhead]**

tbh i don't rlly care

but i don't want others to get the wrong idea

someone saw it earlier and though i was doing something nasty lolol

**[bedhead]**

well

u love my head

u love kenma's head

u love our heads

where's the lie?

**[puddinghead]**

are you stupid kuro

**[flowerhead]**

kuro

i hate u

but u right

i love y'alls fluffy heads so much :((

**[bedhead]**

if u love my head so much

wanna come here and get this head? ;)

u earned it ;)

;) ;) ;)

**[flowerhead]**

_votes to kick **[bedhead]**_

**[puddinghead]**

_votes to kick **[bedhead]**_

**[bedhead]** was voted 2/2

 **[bedhead]** is kicked out of the group


	2. 𝚝 𝚠 𝚘  ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> karasuno volleyball club is headed to aobajousai high school for a practice match, and they're excited because they're playing against one of the prefecture's best four teams! but surprise, surprise! because along the way...
> 
> it seems like you're very close with the rival's captain-setter? too close, in fact...

**april 15, monday**

**karasuno VBC officers** is now online

**[pretty medic]**

i'll be arriving late for practice

i'm sorry （πーπ）

the student council asked for help （πーπ）

**[captain]**

it's fine, [name]-chan!

don't work too hard

**[pretty manager]**

noted.

come back soon.

**[pretty vice captain]**

[name]-chan, pls finish quickly!!

i'll miss u

so much

!!

i love you!!

♡♡♡

**[pretty vice cap]**

i'm sorry, that was tanaka

**[pretty medic]**

but

i'll miss u too 

●︿●

**[pretty vice captain]**

okay ♡

come back soon ♡

or else i'll head there myself!!

**[captain]**

no flirting in this group chat

**[pretty medic]**

captain i'll miss u too ♡

don't get too angry!!

●︿●

**[captain]**

what about shimizu?

**[pretty medic]**

i always miss shimizu-senpai

(ㆁᴗㆁ✿)

**[pretty manager]**

i miss you too, [name]-chan.

♡

just as you told the group chat, you arrived a little bit more than an hour late for practice. you weren't part of the student council per se, but you're classmates with the current secretary, previously part of the student council committee, and have been helping them since your first year. 

you slid open the door silently, trying not to disrupt their practice, but in an instant the gym erupts in simultaneous greetings for your arrival. slightly surprised but overwhelmed with the growing warmth in your chest, you greet everyone back with a smile and step into the gym. 

this warm feeling whenever you enter the gym is something you haven't gotten used to ever since it happened sometime last year, but you treasure it with all of your heart and being regardless. 

* * *

**april 16, tuesday**

as mentioned in your group chat yesterday, sugawara surprised you by "taking a visit" to the student council classroom just after fifteen minutes past the dismissal. as soon as he saw you arranging folders, he walks over and asks for you to be excused, telling the student council members that the volleyball club has a practice match to attend to.

"ah, but this will take only a few more minutes..." you trail off, looking away to the side in guilt when you saw him with a knowing look on his face. _i know, i have a problem with not being able to say '_ no _' when people ask for my help..._

the third year sighs, but gives you a smile. "i'll help you then!" 

"ah, it's fine! we'll handle it, [lastname]-san!" the secretary says, slightly embarrassed and guilty that they're causing trouble to not only you, but an upperclassman as well. 

sensing your hesitance, sugawara quickly takes hold of your hand and drags you to the door. he turns around and bows slightly, telling everyone " _thank you, please excuse us!_ " before running out of the room and towards the gym.

you arrive as the team lines up before the club advisor. with your hands on your knees, you pant slightly as you try to regain your breath. you're still in your school uniform, but you're aware that the bus the club is using is borrowed from the school, so you try not to further inconvenience everyone else by saying you'll change into your tracksuit as you arrive, settling on wearing your track pants on the bus. 

you get on the vehicle, taking the corner seat at the back so you're able to put on your track pants with slight privacy. you do it quickly, adjusting the waistband once you unlocked your skirt. in the same row, hinata and tanaka joins you, taking the opposite side. soon, the bus is filled and accelerates to the destination, aobajousai high school. 

**we love head** is now online

**[bedhead]**

kenma

where are you?

kenma?

**[puddinghead]**

i'll head over in a few

**[bedhead]**

"in a few" my ass

you're in the club room, aren't you?

if you don't come back "in a few"

i'll confiscate your phone

**[puddinghead]**

not my console?

**[bedhead]**

your phone is better

ur punishment is not talking to [nickname]

**[puddinghead]**

i'll head over now...

preoccupied with the group chat, you didn't notice your seatmate getting dizziness and nausea; you were alarmed when tanaka screams out of nowhere.

"stop the buuus!" he yells out, and you turn to your side to see him clutching his pants, his crotch area covered in what looks to be vomit from his seatmate. hinata slumps against the seat, and you rush over with your belt bag filled with medicine. 

the team looks back at the three of you: one's yelling at the side in slight disgust over his soiled pants, one's on the verge of near death and one's trying to revive the said near-death person back to consciousness. 

they all exchange looks, worried for the rest of the day has to offer for them. _somehow, isn't this even worse that we'd expected?!_

thankfully, the poor victim of hinata's projectile vomiting brushes off the incident with a smile on his face.

"i'm sorry tanaka-san, i'm really sorry!" hinata bows and apologizes profusely as they exit the bus.

"i already told ya, it's fine!" tanaka says as he finishes tying off the triple-layer vinyl bag of his gross jersey. "more importantly, are you alright?"

the first year sighs, "yes... i slept on the ride... and i was fine when i got off the bus." he looks over to you as you step out the doors, having finished rechecking the things left in the bus. "[lastname]-senpai's medicine really helped me calm down too."

you grip the strap of your bag with one hand and pat his back with the other as you step close to him, giving him a supportive smile. you don't notice hinata turning red before you. "i see! then everything's good! also, i'm fine not being called _senpai_!"

"i wonder if your hard work's gonna pay off in today's game?" tanaka asks excitedly, unaware of his _kouhai's_ growing anxiety. "how about letting me hit a free ball like during that three-on-three match?!"

hinata stammers his response to do his best. he doesn't notice their vice captain scold tanaka with hushed whispers of not pressuring their new decoy. "i...i'm going to the toilet..." he excuses himself, clutching his stomach as it gurgles loudly. 

"that hinata...again!" you notice the first year setter next to you growling. "so damn pitiful! i'll get him motivate with one hit—" sugawara grabs hold of the strap of his fellow setter's bag, struggling to pull him from landing a punch to hinata. 

"what are you saying, are you stupid?! you know that's effective with some types of people, but not with others, right?!" 

kageyama retorts back as he struggles to release himself from his _senpai_ ' _s_ grasp, "we won't know if it's effective if i don't try!"

surprised, sugawara turns to look at you. "[name]-chan! restrain this guy and his one-track mind!"

"osu!" you yell out as you grab kageyama's jersey, pulling him towards you. you then tightly hug his waist, since that's where you can grip him tightly with your limited height. the male struggles for a bit before realizing the situation, looking down to where your hands overlap each other at the front of his waist, and he freezes. because you're hugging him from behind, you don't see him growing red because of your actions. you bury your face at the back of his jersey, smelling the familiar scent of laundry detergent.

sugawara smiles apologetically at the first year, telling him that skinship is one of the ways you bond with and show affection to other people. kageyama nods robotically and tries to walk, but with you on his back, he takes short steps and sways clumsily. 

as the two of you waddle awkwardly (but endearingly, according to sugawara) to the third gymnasium of aobajousai high school, you hear the voice of two males talking about your team from a distance. 

"ah.. you mean kageyama _?_ " the distance from the two individuals to your approaching group shortens, allowing you to finally hear them clearly. "he's really no big deal, you know? it's true that he stood out, but he basically isn't suited for team play. "

with these words, you feel the male in your arms grow tense. in an attempt to give him your support, you squeeze him tightly for a solid second before releasing him, walking away from the group and heading over to the gym to help out kiyoko. 

you spot her and takeda talking to whom you presumed to be the other team's coach, an older man with black hair, grey eyes, and dark, arched eyebrows. he appears to be short but has a large build compared to the person next to him with dirty blond hair and eyebrows; he's yelling at other players about something unintelligible to you. _so they have two coaches?_

kiyoko notices your entrance to the gym and beckons for you to come near her. "have you seen the rest of the team? we need help setting up the gym."

you nod at her, telling her that you were just with them. you exit the gym and see daichi slightly panicking. he slightly jogs over to you, asking if you've seen the other players. you point out your thumb to behind the gym, telling him that you're heading over to where they are now. 

you can hear tsukishima's goading voice grow louder as you and daichi jog over to their location. "look, you've frightened the elites. pretty pitiful, aren't you."

recognizing the sound of his troublesome _kouhai_ , daichi runs over to them instantly. "ah! i only took my eyes off you guys for a second!" you hear him scold the others from a distance. you make no effort to quicken you pace, not wanting to be in that certain situation. you see daichi push tsukishima and tanaka towards the gym, but you don't see kageyama near them, making you worry. 

you spot sugawara approaching the group, and you ask him where the first year setter is. he nods to his direction, and you see another player talk to him. "been a while, hasn't it, your highness?" kageyama stays still with his head down, his expression unreadable. "what sort of dictatorship will you subject them to? i'm looking forward to it."

unable to withstand the tension and not wanting to see him be treated like this, you start to walk over to kageyama, but you stop in your tracks when you see his head look up. "sure," he responds after a few seconds of tense silence. you smile at him, proud for standing up for himself. you approach him as he walks over to the rest of the team and take hold of both his hands. tanaka and sugawara both slap him on the back, and daichi sends him a smile.

"you did well, kageyama-kun!" you squeeze his slightly trembling hands tightly but gently, smiling up at him while walking backwards. he lets out a relieved sigh and blushes slightly at you, mumbling a soft thank you. 

you don't notice the two players from the other team look at the two of you with unreadable expressions. 

as you entered the gym the second time, you busy yourself with talking to kiyoko and settling down your own bag that's filled with foam rollers, medicine and other first aid kit essentials like bandages and ice packs. you're aware that this school focuses on their sports teams, so in hindsight, you might've not needed to bring your own first aid kit, but still, you wanted to be prepared more than anything. 

realizing that you haven't changed into your full jersey attire, you excuse yourself to the bathroom with your clothes folded on your arm. you hear a familiar voice growing louder, most likely the same person who trash-talked kageyama earlier. _most likely a former teammate of his..._

you didn't notice tanaka leaning against the wall near you, so you jumped in surprise when he started laughing.

"i don't know if that's how kageyama was in junior high, but just you watch during the match, turnip-kun!" the nicknamed turnip gasps in surprise. tanaka turns to hinata, "isn't that right hinata!" _i'm counting on you to back me up!_

hinata doesn't say anything, and instead seems to be busy thinking to himself. you hear tanaka call out to him a few times, and you place an arm on his shoulder after hearing him call for hinata for the second time. "it's okay, ryuu-kun. he's probably busy think—"

hinata dashes to open the bathroom door and interrupts you. "ahh... my stomach... hurts a bit..."

the male beside you looks shocked to see his _kouhai_ evade the scene. you can tell that he's half upset that hinata didn't back him up and half worries about him. "he'll be fine...." you say to no one in particular.

"well then," 'shallot'-kun speaks up with a triumphed look on his face. "i'll be looking forward to it." 

"...i hope." 

you finish changing and fixing your appearance a few minutes later. you arrive to the see the two teams line up against one another and bow. "let's have a good game!"

"that shortie from earlier is a middle blocker?!" you hear the same player from before exclaim. "isn't this some kinda mistake?" you hear the other players mention kageyama as well, asking no one in particular why he's at a no-name school such as karasuno. 

on the other side of the court, you notice daichi trying to help hinata stay calm. "oi, keep it together." kageyama, meanwhile... 

"oi, you understand, right?! it's the same sort of feeling as that three-on-three match before—"

"i-i knooow!" hinata exclaims, seemingly trying to deceive not only his teammates but also himself.

"really?" kageyama asks, his face doubtful. 

and kageyama was right to be doubtful, because in a short moment, the first set has already reached to a match point for the other team. the reason? hinata. that boy has been anxious and overwhelmed since earlier, and it seems like he hasn't calmed down, not one bit; even after the time out, he's still peaking with anxiety. 

"you bastard! enough already, quit it with that anxiety!" kageyama explodes, unable to deal with his partner's extreme nervousness. in the background, you hear sugawara scold him _stupid, it's not like he can turn it off at will!_

"h-hold on," hinata pleads. "give me another chance!" kageyama lets out a growl, still dubious and doubtful at his words. 

"okay!" you hear the captain try to uplift everyone. "let's steadily take back one point at a time! the next server is..." looking at the players on the court, he sees the rotation and faces the said server. "ah." even from the sidelines, you can feel their spirits go down. _of all people, what awful timing..._ _it's hinata's serve!_

"well, he's not the worst at serving," you try to excuse the first year. kiyoko, sugawara, yamaguchi and the second years on the bench turns their head to look at you; even kiyoko is looking doubtful about what will happen next. "what's the worst thing that could happen?"

your question was answered when the referee whistles for the server to proceed; hinata jumps at the sound, quickly throwing the ball up and hitting it prematurely, making its projectile low. instead of hitting the other side of the court...

... it hits the back of the head of the worse person possible: kageyama tobio. 

after the first set, hinata calms down significantly. it seems like whatever kageyama said to him when he cornered hinata to the far back of the court (and mimicked the action of the ball hitting the back of his head) helped him regain his composure. tanaka also said his words, albeit a little insulting, as his way of encouraging his _kouhai_ to get himself together. 

"it's all about everyone on this side of the net! because we're all allies, no exceptions!" you remember him exclaiming loudly. "so what if you're clumsy! be an inconvenience! get underfoot! to compensate for that, there are," he points his thumbs to himself, "'senpais' on your team!"

the second set ends with your team's victory, 25 - 22. "alriiight! if we keep going like this, the final set is as good as ours!"

as you observed from the sidelines, however, you thought that it's kinda weird that the other team's ranked as one of the prefecture's best four, yet they don't seem to have any major skills or tricks up their sleeve. it's like like they're absurdly great at one aspect of the game as well. they seems like a nice, balanced team. but still... _it feels like... something's missing. maybe a player?_

"don't let your guard down," you snap out of your thoughts and take notice of kageyama's warning to the team. "i'm not entirely sure but... the setter over there probably isn't their regular."

you agree with him in your head. _it does seem like that_. now that you think about it, the name _aobajousai_ sounds really familiar, as if someone had told you about it many times. yo, yourself, have never searched for this particular school, and you don't remember any of the team members nor your friends tell you about this. 

the only person you could think if is that one teacher from your cousin's volleyball school who's repeatedly demanding you to call him—

"oikawa-saaan!" the gym erupts with high pitched screams from female onlookers above. you noticed just a few earlier, probably a number you're able to count on your fingers. but now... there's groups of girls surrounding each inch of the railings from above of the first half of the gym. "oikawa-san, please don't strain yourself~!"

you see tanaka with an annoyed and irritated expression. you don't dare move a muscle, even though you're tempted to laugh at tanaka's facial expression. _just hearing '_ oikawa' _brings back unwanted memories..._

"yoohoo, tobio-chan~ long time now see, you've really grown~!" hearing his voice confirms your suspicions. _so he's the one..._ "how's the 'king' doing?"

you don't hear kageyama respond to him, but rather he continues to talk and warn his teammates about his _senpai_. unfortunately for you, the said player takes notice of your seated form hidden behind the other players. his eyes lit up and he lets out an excited gasp.

"anyway, go warm up! and be more careful than you usually are!" his coach orders him, and he responds with a _kaaay!_ , but his eyes are set on yours. _gah! when did i look over to him?_ as you looked away, he heads over to your side of the court and takes hold of your hand to drag you.

"e-eh?" you stammer in surprise. oikawa pins your hand to his side with the use of his arm, and his other hand interlocks with yours, making your arm immobile and unable to move. everyone on the bench turns their head to see you being dragged away by the new star of the court. with your free hand, you reach other to her in despair for what's to come. "shimizu-senpai! help me!"

"i'll return her later, manager-chan~!" he quickly sends a promise over his shoulder. since his voice is nearer to you, you don't hear your team protesting his actions from afar. he stops dragging you when you both reach an open space for him to do his warm up stretch, not too far from the court itself. he sits down with his legs outstretched before him, and he looks expectantly to your still standing figure with a slight frown on his ~~cute~~ face. 

"oikawa-san—"

"tooru!"

"oikaw—"

"tooru!"

"oik—"

"tooru! i said, 'tooru'!" 

"well i'm not gonna call you that if you keep demanding me!" you childishly retort back at him. he continues to stare at you with the same expression, but he's now pouting instead of frowning. "you should hurry up stretching, your team's about to get beaten—"

"[name]-chan! this is too mean of you!" he grabs one of your ankles when you attempted to move away from him. "i worked hard to steal you from them and you won't even stay with me till the end of my warm up?"

"you know we're on opposite teams, right?" you asked in monotonously, but he continues to stare at you with the same expectant look. his eyes are glimmering as if there's unshed tears in them, and his lips tremble slightly as if he's on the verge of crying out. at his kid-like expression, you sigh in defeat and help him warm up. 

"there, your warm up's done, now get away from me." you rush to get back to your seat before he has another chance to grab your ankles. you hear him protest behind you, but you continued your hurried way back to the bench. you try to ignore the "hushed" voices of the girls from above, clearly asking your existence and identity with a jealous tone in their voice. 

you return to your seat next to kiyoko. you glance at the scoreboard, _21 - 24, our matchpoint._

"oh dear~ looks like we're in a pinch, aren't we?" he teases, approaching his coach at their side of the bench. the coach asks him about his warm up, and oikawa takes this as a chance to glance over to you. your eyes both meet as he reassures his coach, "i'm all done!"

the other team changes members, #13, oikawa, in and #7, a smaller player with a similar hairstyle to kenma, just slightly shorter in length and not dyed, out. _it's not the setter though..._ with the opponent's current rotation, the member change allows oikawa to serve immediately. _ah, pinch server. this is bad._

he quickly catches up two points for their team by targeting tsukishima. _he probably observed the match while he was warming up..._ _the score's 23-24 now._

on his third serve, however, tsukishima draws near the sidelines and manages to receive it since oikawa's serve sacrificed some of its power for control. the ball goes back to the opposite side of the court, earning them a chance ball. oikawa receives, and another guys sets for turnip-kun to spike.

_it looks like they haven't seen hinata's crazy jump and reflexes. they're in for a surprise._

in an instant, hinata aligns parallel with the spiker on air and soft blocks him, earning a chance ball for karasuno. as soon as he lands on the ground, hinata rushes to the other side of the net where no blockers are against him and jumps. he sees just one player, oikawa, in his field of view, and he aims right next to him as he spikes—

the referee whistles as the match ends. 23 - 25, karasuno's victory!

* * *

together, you all exit the gym after takeda-sensei gives an uplifting, encouraging speech to the team and greeting your farewells. daichi admits to the team that they're still weak compared to aobajousai.

"ooh~ as expected of the captain!" _just let us exit in peace, would you?_ "you really understand the situation, huh~"

the first year quartet, minus kageyama and replaced with tanaka, glares at seijou's captain to the best of their abilities. "what the hell? you want a piece of this? huh? you wanna go?"

"aww, don't be so hard on me~ i just came to say hello~" he walks forward and stands in front of hinata. "little guy, that one-touch and broad attack at the end were amazing!" hinata is flustered with his compliment, unable to form a coherent response. "today i was only able to join in for the last few points, but... lets give it our all next time, right from the start."

oikawa notices tsukishima's glare on him. "ah, that's right. be sure to improve your serve, too. your attacks were incredible, but if all of your early receives are slow and hesitant, you'll reach your limit soon, won't you?

"i'm not the only one who hits an intensely strong serve. the interhigh preliminaries are coming up, will you really be able to survive them?" he steps closer to the group and points a finger to kageyama. "seeing as how i want to crush my uselessly adorable kouhai in a regular game, fair and square, as a setter."

"if—" hinata hesitates before grabbing tsukishima's arm and pulling him towards him. "if it's about receives, we'll do special training!" on the side, tsukishima complains for hinata to let go of him, but the latter doesn't listen. 

"receiving isn't something you can improve in a short span of time, you know. " oikawa turns around and glances back to his fellow captain. "i think captain-kun knows that well enough~" he walks away from the group. "there isn't any time left from the tournament. i'll be looking forward to seeing what you'll do. "

the team is frozen over his words (and you're slightly frozen because you can't believe oikawa didn't bother you the moment he saw you for once) but the silence breaks when kageyama tells the team to not let his former captain's words get into the heads as he likes to rile people up. 

daichi starts to laugh, "it's true that there's no time left until the interhigh preliminaries. however...

"it's about time _he_ returned." the team erupts with excitement, along with hinata's curious questions on just who their captain is talking about. 

in hindsight, you should've known it was too good to be true; you should've followed where he was heading to, because then, maybe, you might've been able to escape this school without further encountering him after that stunt he pulled during the match. 

well, you can't help it now, because you're being pulled over to the side by the very same individual who threatened you and your team by the school gates. you can only look at the backs of your teammates as your mouth is being covered and your torso is being lifted slightly off the ground. 

"let's make this quick, [name]-chan," a deep voice rumbles in your ear. you immediately feel goosebumps and shivers, hearing him go from his usual cherry tone to a deep and serious voice. "just give me what i want and i'll let you go." you push away his hand that's covering your mouth. 

"ever so dramatic," you comment offhandedly while looking to the side. in your peripherals, you notice tanaka and hinata looking from side to side, most likely looking for your small figure. oikawa takes notice and pulls you to the walls of the gate, away from their sights. 

oikawa sets you down to the ground, but as soon as your feet touch it, he spins you around and grabs hold of your hands. "i just want your number, is that much to ask?!" he erupts, most likely out of frustration.

for the past few months since the year had begun, the two of your have been meeting on mondays. not _every_ monday, but let's just say that he's a part of _a lot_ of mondays in your life compared to mondays where he's not since this year. and, in every monday he's a part of, he never fails to demand you for three things:

first, for you to call him "tooru" instead of "oikawa-san". it's not like you're 100% against calling him tooru, but you found his reaction funny when you realized the he was some bigshot player that you genuinely didn't know or heard about. all you knew, from that time, was that he's your cousin's volleyball teacher that shows up occasionally on mondays. and that he's incredible good looking. so you made it your chance to tease him. 

second, for you to give him your number. he actually has the number for your house phone, taken from your cousin's information sheet in the volleyball school. he's respectful enough to not spam call your house, but he still calls you more often than you wanted. he doesn't know that you live alone though, and you make sure to not let him get that information.

and lastly, his third demand is for a date with his nephew and your cousin. "it's a friendly date," you remember him telling you when he first brought up the idea. in recent times, however, he went from asking you politely to trying to deceive you and your cousin to go to date-like places with his nephew, usually under the guise of "takeru's wishes" or "mini school field trips".

so, what's stopping you? well, other than the fact that his nephew, takeru, had told you stories about him and his girlfriend for more than just a few times, he's also a really famous volleyball player. clearly, just from his entrance of the practice match earlier, he gathers attention wherever he goes. 

and you just don't like unwanted attention.

[ "ahh, how's our cute phil doing?"](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5c/c3/15/5cc3152beb7d5f35d4b3c073d5726c66.gif)

"o-our...? '[phil](https://i.redd.it/fn7lt0hwlkn21.png)'? who's that?" unbeknownst to you, the team is listening in your conversation from the other side of the wall. in particular, hinata, kageyama, tanaka and sugawara are crouching down to press themselves near the wall while the rest are standing behind them, still listening to your conversation but not wanting to look like an idiot. 

"my baby's doing fine."

"my...? b-BABY?" hinata exclaims, but kageyama's quick to cup his hand over the middle blocker's mouth. 

"he'll be celebrating his birthday on sunday, right? let's celebrate it on monday at school!" they hear your excited squeals and oikawa's soft chuckle. 

"i'll have to check with out practice beforehand, but thank you, oi—"

"tooru!" he demands instantly. "and because of that, will you give me your number?" unable to keep his curiosity to himself, hinata jumps out of kageyama's hold and crosses over to the other side of the wall. 

"[lastname]-san, do you have a child?!" hinata inserts himself between you and oikawa. 

"...what?"

"how old is he?" kageyama follows suit, shoving oikawa to the side as he places himself in front of you.

"who's the father?!" tanaka erupts from behind the two, who separate themselves from your front and settle to your sides. you hear him stomping over (keyword: hear, because these two are walls in your vision currently) and he points to oikawa, who's now on the ground for some reason. "don't tell me it's this punk over here!"

you let silence take over the previously uproarious exchange. you blink a couple of times, trying to analyze the situation. it clicks to you that they're misunderstanding the whole thing—

"i don't have a child!"

"b-but you said—" hinata stammers, but you're quick to open your phone's gallery and show them a picture. 

"ahh, that would be my cousin, [phil](https://www.anime-planet.com/images/characters/phil-the-promised-neverland-120572.jpg?t=1550774713)!" you can see their expression go from confused to relieved to surprised to affectionate in the span of just a few seconds. "isn't he the cutest? he turns six on sunday!"

"ahh, i can't wait it pinch his little cheeks on monday!!" oikawa, still on the ground, looks up at the picture on your phone with hearts as his eyes. "i'm so excited, [name]-chan~!"

"then... what the hell is this punk talking about? how does he connect to all of this?" you hear tanaka ask once he snaps out of his cooing for your adorable cousin. 

"ah, i teach volleyball to some kids," oikawa says, patting off his ~~flat ass~~ bottom from any dirt as he stands up. "her cousin is a student of mine, he's also the youngest."

"ah... that's why..." the three idiots freeze when they realize your situation with the famed volleyball setter. "that's why he knows you too... and is close to you..." 

out of nowhere, daichi and sugarawa appear. the second year ~~bench~~ trio also come up behind them, and simultaneously, the trio take one of the three idiots' hands while sugawara clasps his to yours. daichi sends a menacing look from the corner of his eye to his fellow captain, but quickly sends him a shallow happy expression with a smile. "thank you for the game! then, we'll be on our way!"

oikawa, surprised and slightly feeling threatened under such an intense and intimidating glare, says nothing as he mindlessly waves at your group walking of out his school gates. he barely registers the sound of multiple people entering a vehicle, and soon, he hears it rumble to life. "wait [name]-chan! your number!!"

"shittykawa! i've been looking for you all fucking day!"

"iwa-chan!!"

* * *

e x t r a ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

* * *

**[captain]**

ara?

i'm the only one without "pretty" in the nickname

how do i change it?

**[pretty vice cap]**

you can't

**[captain]**

why not?

**[pretty vice cap]**

because you're not pretty 

**[pretty medic]**

koushi-senpai...

**[pretty manager]**

i think sawamura is pretty though.

**[pretty medic]**

me too!!

**[captain]**

shimizu!

[name]-chan!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phil best and most precious baby boi ♡´･ᴗ･`♡


	3. 𝚝 𝚑 𝚛 𝚎 𝚎  ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the team is relieved that they're wrong about your relationship with the famous seijou captain! with the discussion of the annual golden week, it seems like everything will be just like last year's training camp, but surprise, surprise! because they have a new scheduled practice match...
> 
> it's with their old-time rival, nekoma high school! and it just so happens that your childhood best friends are captain and setters of their team. and their team is secretly in a group chat with you.
> 
> oh, and you're keeping it a secret from everyone.

**april 16, tuesday**

"guys! let's hurry up and head back before the vice principal gets mad!" takeda-sensei yells out to the team, waving his arms above his head to catch your attention. quickly, you all climbed aboard and sat in the same spot from earlier.

well, at least, you were about to. 

tanaka rushes past you from the aisle and takes a seat on your previous spot. not minding it ( _don't mind!_ ), you head to the other side near the windows, but hinata takes the seat there before you could. you turn around, and the rest of the team takes up all the seats, still in their previous positions. so, without a choice, you sit next to tanaka, right in front of the aisle where everyone can see if you they craned their heads back enough. _i feel exposed_ , you thought to yourself.

as if everyone had heard you, all of their heads simultaneously turn to look at your expectantly. 

"[name]..." you hear tanaka drag out your name from beside you. you look away to the side, but you see the amused faces of the tall first year duo. _why did they have to seat just diagonal to me..._

"well go on, [lastname]-san. we're _excited_ to hear your story with seijou's captain!" tsukishima taunts at you, his voice slightly mocking but ironically still sounding enthusiastic. "after all, he seems _very close_ to you." you can feel a drop of sweat running down the side of your temple as you look at your fellow clubmates, seeing a variety of expressions that range from "wow-i-feel-so-betrayed" to "how-the-fuck-did- _that-_ happen?"

and so, on the entirety of the journey, you explained how the two of you met and why he's so clingy to you. 

"so, let me get this right," kageyama speaks up from one of the lone seats on the left side of the bus in front of your seatmate. his body is twisted to face you, and his right hand resting against the head of his seat. "oikawa-san is a teacher at a volleyball class your cousin is a part of," you nod at his explanation so far, encouraging him to continue. "and you both met since the start of the year..." you nod once again, confirming the truthfulness of his words.

"and he's been chasing you since then, all because you ignored him and didn't know who he was." his expression turns to an expressionless one; you can see how dead his eyes are and how motionless he is. focused on the first year setter, you don't notice the rest of the team react similarly to him at his words.

"i think it was more because he was frustrated that i haven't talked to him since my cousin enrolled in that school last year," you tried to further their understanding. it _does_ seem a little overboard and comical right now... and unbelievably cliche... 

"i always wondered why there's more females during mondays compared to the classes on weekends, but i never looked into it because it didn't seem that big of a deal to me." 

"so," tsukishima starts, and you turn your head to look at him "you're telling me, that the _great kin_ _g of seijou_ , captain of one of the best four in our prefecture, was frustrated because you were the only girl who hasn't launched herself at him?"

not wanting to say your (albeit reluctant) confirmation, you settle for a nod of your head. 

immediately, the tall middle blocker starts cackling; his laughter is clear and crisp amidst the dead silence of the bus. "who does he think he is? how conceited of him~"

"i think it's because i kept rejecting him," you mumbled to yourself, but most of the team seated near you caught on your words. tsukishima laughs louder, highly amused at your predicament with the famous player. "ugh this is so embarrassing," you hide your face behind your hands, feeling it grow warmer by the second. 

"i'll beat his ass when i see him next time!" you hear tanaka exclaim from your side. "how dare he cause trouble and bother our precious [name]? let's beat their asses at interhigh!"

"maybe i should've just let him get my number," you mindlessly consider the thought. _and suffer with the near perfect possibility that he's just gonna spam you?_ yeah, you could block his number right after, but you bet he'll just react more spontaneously to it. _maybe a fake number...?_

 _"_ maybe he should just give up, _"_ tsukishima snickers in his seat. "oh, but don't let him give up, [lastname]-san! i'll be looking forward to hearing more stories in the future~"

"we should talk about _your_ stories, tsukishima-kun." you smile, turning the tables on him. with a tilt of your head, you widen your smirk and narrow your eyes, your face similar to the one he pulled on the two seijou players earlier. "i heard another person gave you a love letter this week. it's only the second week _and_ _it's a tuesday._ "

you hop over to to the vacant seat next to hinata, the spot behind him. standing up slightly to rest your elbows to the top of his seat, you place your chin on your palm, looking down at the surprised and slightly embarrassed first year. "well, aren't you a ladies' man yourself?"

"alright kids, settle down, we'll be arriving soon," you heard takeda call out from the front. tsukishima ignores him and instead turns around in his seat, his hands on the top of his seat next to yours. with his height, he's just standing slightly, resting his body by placing one knee on his seat. 

"where did you hear that, [lastname]-san?" he asks with a smirk and a tilt of his head.

"word travels fast, you know? people won't stop talking when there's gossip. that's why they're so infuriating," you mumble the last part to yourself, but he hears it clearly. 

"tell me about it," he agrees to your statement. "but i gotta say, you're not infuriating to me, [lastname]-san." you smirk at him, your eyebrows shooting up at his confession.

"oh? have you taken a liking to me?"

"me?" he acts surprised, laughing at himself. "no, no. i don't wanna be a part of your harem soon."

"well there's always a spot for you right next to me."

"look out for volleyball teacher-san," he mockingly warns you. "he might just snatch you right up before i can even do anything."

"stop flirting, damn it," you hear and _feel_ tanaka disapproval right next to you. he's slightly leaning to your side, his face in between yours and tsukishima's. he has a glowered look on his face, not that different from his usual intimidating scowl. "tsukishima, you better keep away from [name]-chan, damn you."

"ryuu-kun, it's fine. we're just having a little fun," you reassure him with a hand patting his back, pulling him to sit down with you. immediately, your fellow second year relaxes and places his head on your shoulder, hugging your side slightly. you don't notice him continuing to glare at the first year.

"tsukishima, i'll be keeping an eye on you," he threatens the giant first year, who then moves from his current position to sit back down.

the bus stops shortly after, and you wait for the people in front to exit their seats.

after the front portion of the bus is empty, tsukishima and yamaguchi stand to exit the bus and you follow. you see tsukishima glance over to tanaka, giving him a side eye. 

"ugh, i can't believe i have to deal with these people now," you hear him mutter under his breath, making you giggle at his words.

initially, you didn't think much of your _kouhai_ , assuming him to be nothing more than a childish, ultra-salty pain in the ass but, looking back to your exchange just earlier, you both might have something to bond over with. 

"okay, we've finished up the light cleaning! good work!" takeda calls out to the team, who responds with a tired but still respectful tone. you hear daichi head over to him, thanking him for his work and support today. "no, no. it's thanks to everyone's hard work!"

you overhear them talk about the practice match earlier. daichi tells him that the team still has a long way to go, admitting that the team, as it is, isn't enough. "moreover, in a situation like that, i don't know if i can direct them like a manager or a coach would..." he sighs. 

_a coach, huh?_ you thought to yourself. _it's a shame that ukai-sensei retired just a few months before the first years could even meet him. hinata might've gave him a run for his money during his hellish training. he's got crazy stamina_... 

as soon as you thought of it, you see hinata falling asleep while holding a mop, somehow still standing. on the sidelines, tsukishima and yamaguchi laugh at male, "admiring" his skill to fall asleep while standing up. ... _well, usually._

takeda excuses himself, asking daichi to take responsibility for the gym, and greets you all a _great work today!_ before leaving your sights. you take the mop from hinata, gently prying it off his hands, and head over to the equipment room to store it away. 

"what's with this?" you head yamaguchi ask behind you. you and sugawara turn around to see him holding the broken mop. "this mop's been broken in two. i'm gonna throw it away 'cause it's dangerous, okay?"

sugawara quickly takes the mop from his hands, "you don't need to! it's fine! it's fine..." his expression turns somber while looking at the broken object, and you're reminded of the fight you witnessed in this very same room. "if we repair it, we can use it again..."

you exit the room, forcing that memory out of your thoughts. you don't notice daichi looking at you and sugawara, an unreadable expression on his face. you separated yourself from the team after exiting the school, rushing to go home to make and eat dinner. after everything that's happened today, you figured you needed some time by yourself in peace and silence. 

that is, until you remembered that you haven't checked your phone since before the match, which was a little over more than four hours ago. _kuroo's freaking out over my inactivity, bet._

your phone greets you with an alarming number of notifications ranging from unread chats (typical), to phone calls (a little weird but okay), to emails to your personal account ( _what the fuck_?).

good thing you decided to check your phone just as you arrive to your apartment, or else you might've exploded in frustration or intense curiosity. 

**15** unread chats from **we love head**

 **13** unread chats from **karasuno VBC team**

 **10** unread chats from **neko nyaan**

 **5** unread chats and **3** missed calls from **[tetsu♡]**

 **1** unread chat and **1** missed call from **[kenma♡]**

 **1** missed call from **[yuu♡]**

 **2** emails from **[unknown sender]**

staring in disbelief at your phone, you didn't notice that another person was blocking the way in front of your apartment; you bumped into them soon enough and you stammered an apology quickly after. you hear a familiar voice call out your name, making you slightly look up in surprise. you see a mop of brown hair with a small section of front hair bleached blonde—

"yuu-kun?" you called out. at your voice, the said person jumps at you, his arms wide and outstretched so your body perfectly fits into his arms. he quickly and tightly hugs you, rubbing his head against your neck like a cat head butting its owner. 

"[name]-chan!! i missed you!!" he continues to rub his head against your neck, uncaring if some of his words get muffled when his mouth is against your skin. you reach your hand to the back of his head, combing through his hair and gently scratching his scalp with your fingertips. you feel the male in your arms relax and stop moving his head, settling himself in the crook of your neck. "i couldn't wait till tomorrow to see you."

you coo at your cute friend, "aww, yuu! i missed you too."

you both enter the apartment after unlocking the front door, and the thought about your phone and its absurd amount of notifications fades from your mind as you focus on the male before you: nishinoya yuu. 

throughout your hang out, you feel the underlying tension and strain in your relationship; no doubt, the incident is still fresh in his thoughts and you're reminded of it because of yamaguchi and sugawara earlier.

you're mindful and slightly conscious enough to not talk about anything school related or club related, but you can't tell if he's thankful for your consideration or not. the situation is still constantly at the back of your mind, and this is the first time you've seen him since the last day of classes. still, he stays with you in your apartment until just shy of a late night, and he says that he's been the happiest today since a long time. 

it saddens you greatly that one of the most pure and cheerful people you've ever met in your life has just said that. 

you couldn't offer him anything else but a hug: one that's tight enough that you feel the pressure from the other person's arms towards you body, and one that's long and silent, unnecessary of words being spoken because just being there is enough to send one's thoughts and feelings to the other. 

right then and there, you promised you'd do your best to keep him happy. 

* * *

**april 17, wednesday**

you arrived earlier at the gym as compensation for arriving late last monday and even yesterday. you expected to be the first one on the court, but the sight of kageyama setting down a half-filled water bottle at the end of the opposite court surprised you. 

"kageyama-kun, did you head here straight after classes?" you asked him incredulously as you approached the male. "it's barely seven minutes past dismissal!"

"ah, yes [lastname]-san. i wanted to practice my serves, so..." he trails off. you don't need to hear an explanation from him to understand that he's fired up from their practice match yesterday. you smiled at his determination, finding it cute and admirable. 

"then, i'll be on the stage. ah, you can call me by my name, by the way. i don't mind!" you walk over to the stage, taking your usual spot. the male tenses slightly when you walked past him, the thought of calling you by your given name slightly embarrassing but at the same time rewarding. he tests out saying your name, speaking in a low, soft tone, and he smiles at how pretty it sounds.

fired up once again, he concentrates on practicing his serves, aiming to hit the bottle of water he'd placed down earlier. he holds the ball to his face, taking a deep breath before tossing it up in the air and running to jump and hit it. you look at the ball, intrigued to see it's path is on it's way perfectly towards the bottle. _it's gonna hit!_

out of nowhere, hinata steps in the court right in front of the water bottle. he places his arms down and receives the ball, but his balance was off (due to just arriving at his spot) and he falls down on his back. 

"oi, don't get in the way, you stupid idiot hinata!" kageyama berates him. "that was probably going to hit just now, too!" hinata ignores his words, caught up with his (kinda?) successful receive.

"did i do it?! did i get the receive right?!" he jumps back to his feet and looks at kageyama with a twinkle in his eyes. 

"you didn't do it at all, dammit! it went out of bounds, moron!"

"i'll go get it..." hinata volunteers reluctantly with a sigh, climbing up the ladder as kageyama calls him an idiot for the nth time. he hits another serve, and it looks similar to the previous one. _oh, it's definitely gonna hit—_

out of nowhere, nishinoya steps in the court right in front of the water bottle. he places his arms down and receives the ball ( _wait, this sounds familiar) **,**_ but instead of falling down like hinata, he receives the ball perfectly, passing it to where the setter would usually be. _the sound of the receive sounds different from hinata's, too..._

kageyama freezes in his position, stunned to see such a perfect receive right in front of his eyes. 

"ooh, that was a pretty amazing serve," he compliments kageyama. nishinoya steps to the side and looks straight at you. "[name]! why didn't you tell me that a real incredible guy joined the team?" the first year duo continues to look stunned, openly staring at the male before you. 

"heeey! noya-saaaan!!" you hear tanaka scream out from the door. nishinoya turns to the noise and brings his hands up like tanaka.

"yo, ryuu!" daichi and sugawara enter the gym, greeting nishinoya as well with a surprised ad happy voice. the captain notices the first year duo, still stunned and spaced out, and introduces to them the unidentified male.

"this is second year nishinoya." kageyama, hinata and nishinoya exchange greetings with each other. hinata seems to remember something, because he erupts in a fit of stutters as he walks towards the second year. 

"s-s...shorter than me?!" _uh oh_ , you thought. _how bold of hinata to point it out so bluntly,_ you giggled. you laugh at their conversation afterwards, amused and relieved to see nishinoya back at this very gym. _i kinda missed seeing him around. his presence is definitely one that's noticeable, especially if it's the lack of it. the team definitely needs him and asahi-senpai back._

"i like the girls' uniform a lot!" you snap out of your thoughts when you see him pointing at you. "of course, the girls themselves went beyond my expectations!"

"oi, yuu-kun! stop revealing yourself to be a pervert to the first years!" you jokingly scold him. tanaka and the third years laugh at your words, and you see nishinoya smile as well, making you smile in return.

"and, besides that. the boys wear gakuran! black ones!" he exclaims, pointing his thumb to his current outfit. he and tanaka rave over the uniforms for a bit before you all hear the sound of the doors sliding open, revealing kiyoko, still in her standard uniform. you jump off the stage and join the group, standing next to the captain.

"kiyoko-saaaan!" nishinoya starts running to her with his arms outstretched. "i came to see you, kiyoko-saaaan!" in the background, you hear sugawara and hinata comment about nishinoya's antics.

"he comes whirling in like a storm, as always..."

"an unexpected downpour..."

"he's pretty noisy, huh?" daichi laughs. "but, his plays are surprisingly..."

"quiet." you finish his sentence, hearing the sound of a harsh slap right after. nishinoya returns to the group, a bright red hand print on the side of his face, but he seems happy and excited. 

"so, what about asahi-san? did he come back?" you look away from him, not wanting to see his reaction to the news. a moment of silence weighs down the mood of the court, and sugawara mutters a _no_ after a few seconds. "that coward!"

"yuu!" you turn back your head to scold him.

"hey, noya!" tanaka exclaims. "don't talk like that about our ace!" nishinoya turns back around, stomping towards the exit. hinata perks up at the word 'ace', surprised and amazed to hear that the team has one. 

"shut up! a coward's a coward!" he looks back at us, yelling his last words. "it's just like i said before, if asahi's not coming back, then neither am i!" 

tanaka apologizes to the first years, shortly explaining that there's an issue between him and the aforementioned ace of the team. the room grows silent after, save for the sighs you and sugawara let out. but all of a sudden—

"please teach me how to do receives!" you hear hinata's voice from the outside. _when did he..._

not continuing that thought, you sighed once more. well, this scenario went slightly better than what you expected. but still, you wished for him and asahi to return to the club. _i might just have a plan...._

* * *

**april 18, thursday**

"you should go in first after all."

"haah? you're the one who said he wanted to see the ace!" you hear the familiar voices of the first year duo [foil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foil_\(fiction\)). you approached them from behind, interrupting their bickering.

"oya?" you mindlessly asked the twoindividuals who were currently blocking the doors to class 3-3, asahi's classroom. "what are you guys doing here?"

"ah, we were going to—"

"wait, asahi!" you hear the voice of sugawara yell out from inside the room. the duo exchange looks of surprise and recognition. 

"asahi?" they asked each other.

"what?" he looks at the two individuals looking up at the male at the door. hinata moves to hide himself behind the taller first year, who yells out his disapproval. at their unmoving figures, you can almost hear the gears turning in their heads. _they're probably shocked to see his appearance... why he likes keeping it "wild" despite his_ very _contradicting personality, i'll never understand._

asahi notices your tiny figure slightly behind kageyama and greets you. "ah, [name]-chan! i missed you." you go around the two to wrap your arms around the third year's waist, hugging it tightly. you feel him card his fingers through the hair on the crown of your head, as well as the vibration of his light laughter when he saw your reaction.

"what are you guys doing here?" sugawara asks the three of you. hinata stammers for a reply, but he cuts him off before he can make a proper sentence. "these are first years who joined recently, hinata and kageyama."

"ooh, first years, huh?" the two mentioned students greet him enthusiastically. asahi greets them back and looks at his fellow third year. "how many this year?"

"four. it's not that many, but they're all promising."

"i see," was his slightly melancholic response. he turns to the duo and pats hinata's arm, "good luck and do your best." 

hinata lets out a confused sound. "aren't we going to do our best together?" he asks, looking up at asahi directly. "i want to become an ace, so i wanna see the real thing in action!"

in the background you hear another student call out for the ace's attention, telling him that the career counselor's waiting for him. asahi grabs your two arms and gently pries them away from his middle, stepping out away from you.

"sorry," asahi starts walking toward his classmate and stops briefly to look back at your group with a wave goodbye. "i'm no ace." before anyone can tell him anything else, he strays further from your vision and from your grasp.

along with everyone, you stand in silence, staring at his disappearing figure.

_mission failed, we'll get 'em next time._

at practice later on in the day, nishinoya practices with the team once again. he says he's not coming back to the club, but because hinata called him _senpai_ yesterday, he came back yesterday and today to "teach" the first years, minus kageyama, how to receive the ball properly.

"rolliiing...." he crouches down low, his hips just a few inches off the ground. "thuundeer!!" he receives the ball with one hand, then rolls to his right and stands back up in one quick, sweeping motion. the ball soars in the air and shoots perfectly in the ball cart near the net.

the gym is silent for just a few seconds before the sound of tanaka's laughter echoes throughout. 

"n-nice receive," sugawara awkwardly compliments the libero. next to him, tanaka clutches his stomach and points his right index finger to nishinoya. 

"that was just a normal rolling receive, wasn't it!"

"why did you shout like that?" kageyama asks with a stunned expression. the two beside him, tsukishima and yamaguchi, are laughing at the second year libero as well, hiding their laughing faces by turning their bodies away. 

"what... was that..." tsukishima says in between his chuckles. yamaguchi, on the other hand, has his back to the star of the court, muffling his laughter with his hand. 

"on a scale of one to tanaka, how proud are you with that move?" you ask, lightly chuckling yourself at his ridiculous stunt. you hear tanaka stop laughing when he heard you mention his name and react with an _oi, what did you say?._

"kageyama! tsukishima! yamaguchi! get over here. i'm gonna give you a lecture, so crouch down! no, wait, sit down! get yourselves lower than my line of sight!" nishinoya berates the tall first years, except hinata ~~of course~~ , who looks at the libero with stars in his eyes and a blush on his cheeks, asking him to teach him the comical stunt. 

"teach me!! teach me rolling thunder!!"

"why didn't you get angry at [lastname]-san as well, she laughed at you too," kageyama asks. before nishinoya can open his mouth, tanaka, still clutching his stomach, strides next to kageyama, clamping a hand down his shoulder, and whispers loudly to his ear.

"[name]'s always an exception."

"that's enough for todaaay!" takeda disrupts the ruckus, appearing through the doors of the gym. daichi calls for the team to greet him, and you all form a half circle before exchanging welcomes with the adult. "you guys are gonna do _that_ " again, right?!" he asks in an excited tone. 

"the golden week training camp!"

daichi confirms to the club advisor. "we still need a lot more practice, after all." you see hinata's face light up, clearly excited at the thought of the training camp. 

"in that case," takeda pushes up his glasses further up, his face forming a scheming expression. "i've scheduled a practice match for the final day of golden week!" the gym erupts into cheers, excitement bubbling in the air. 

"h-how reliable, take-chan!!" tanaka compliments him. "what happened!"

"a-against who?" sugawara asks. 

"the tokyo veteran, 'nekoma high school'. the 'cats'. " your eyes widened significantly, but you catch yourself before you slip. _holy shit...!_

immediately, you share the team's excitement, eager to see your two favorite boys ( _don't tell the karasuno boys_ ) after a few, long months. even though you talk to them on the daily, albeit not much this week because you've gotten so busy, seeing them in person still hits different. 

you realize, however, the catch, the downfall: you haven't told them you joined the volleyball club since last year. you haven't even told them you attended karasuno high school (and if you did, mostly it was just mentioned sometime during the first months of your first year, but you don't remember bringing up karasuno since then). 

two choices immediately pop up into your mind: you could either tell them beforehand, warning them of your presence on the practice match; or.... you could surprise them and act coy, as if you never considered the possibility of crossing paths on the court.

_well, a little surprise never hurt anyone, right?_

while you were busy thinking, you missed out on takeda's explanation of nekoma's connection with karasuno. luckily, you caught on quickly after hearing takeda's next words. 

"when i heard about the existence of our well-matched rival nekoma high school, i wanted to have a 'destined rematch' no matter what. with nekoma high school as our opponent... i'm sure that _he_ will also be moved to action." the team looks at takeda confused, unknowing who he's referring to. 

"okay!" daichi yells out, catching the attention of everyone. "we're finally going to have a practice match against them, so don't let it go to waste and give you all in both the match and the training camp!"

"ossu!"

"tokyo...huh?" tanaka asks no one in particular, his expression turning sly. "those damned _city boys_ , we'll completely pulverize 'em!" at the same time, you and tsukishima burst out a laugh at his mispronunciation.

"shitty boy... he says."

"shut it, tsukishima!" he scolds the boy with wasted efforts. "you too, [name]-chan! don't think you're an exception!" at the last statement, kageyama looks over to his _senpai_ with a stunned look and asks him in his head, _but didn't you just say that [name]-san is always an exception?._

while you avoid tanaka's pinching fingers (his favorite form of punishment for you), you overhear nishinoya and daichi's conversation. 

"if i... participate in a match too, and we win... it would be like proof that we can win even without asahi-san. even though we've played together until now, winning even without asahi-san being there... i don't wan't something like that." 

while nishinoya apologizes for saying something selfish, you spring up like a cat on its prey and jump slightly to surprise the libero in a backhug. "you're not being selfish, yuu! but still, can't you come to the training camp and just not participate in the practice match?"

"she's right," daichi smiles at both of you. he ruffles your head, earning him a groan of despair from you. "i understand what you're saying, but come to the training camp."

"noya-san!" hinata calls out from behind you. you jump off his back and skip to the captain's side. "one more time!! do rolling thunder again!!" nishinoya looks at daichi and you with a solemn expression. the male next to you exchanges looks with you, and together you both give the libero a smile and a pat on the back.

you remember the news your club advisor brought to the team, and you can your excitement soar through the skies. 

_looks like we'll be meeting sooner than i expected._

* * *

e x t r a ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

* * *

after nishinoya left your apartment, you finally decided to check your phone. the notifications for unread chats increased, but kuroo and kenma didn't call you after their previous failed attempts.

bracing yourself for the impact, you open the chats and get to reading. 

**we love head** is now online

**[bedhead]**

kitten i see ure online 

ur activity light's green!!!

don't make me spam!!

**[puddinghead]**

but you are spamming

**[bedhead]**

shut up kenma

my kitten doesn't wanna talk to us

:'(

**[puddinghead]**

she's prob busy

and she's not yours, kuro

**[flowerhead]**

yea tetsu

!!

**[bedhead]**

your first chat to us in over 8 hours

and this is it

???

**[flowerhead]**

deal w it

loser

**[puddinghead]**

please tell me you saw our earlier chats

**[flowerhead]**

i did lolol

tetsu, did u miss me that much?

♡´･ᴗ･`♡

**[bedhead]**

ure acting suspicious kitten

spill it

where's my lovely [name]

???

**[puddinghead]**

he's delusional

**[flowerhead]**

i was gonna say i missed u too

but u're being suspicious of me so i'm not gonna

i did nothing wrong officer!!

also kenma, i missed u 

♡´･ᴗ･`♡

**[bedhead]**

i see how it is

**[puddinghead]**

[name] pls forgive him

he'll be so sulky at practice tom

**[flowerhead]**

don't wanna

**[puddinghead]**

[name]...

**[bedhead]**

kenma go to sleep, we hace practice tomorrow morning

*have

**[puddinghead]**

he's writing without any shortcuts...

**[bedhead]**

and stop talking with [name]

she's probably busy

she doesn't wanna talk with us

she doesn't even tell us her school

or her club activities

or why she's busy

**[flowerhead]**

are u mad

**[bedhead]**

no, i'm not

why makes you say that?

**[flowerhead]**

oh, sorry

are u angy?

**[puddinghead]**

you mean angry?

**[flowerhead]**

no, i mean angy

he won't get angry at me, i just know it

**[bedhead]**

no, i'm not

i'm going to bed

**[puddinghead]**

he's angry...

**[flowerhead]**

he's angy!!

**neko nyaan** is now online

**[name nyaan]**

i made ur captain angy

pls take pics of him sulking for me!!

♡´･人･`♡

**[acetora]**

angy?

do you mean angry?

**[tallnyan]**

no, she meant angy

its like a cute ver of angry

**[yakkun]**

surprised u actually know something, lev

**[tallnyan]**

╥﹏╥

**[inuocat]**

on it!!

**[shibanyama]**

me too!!

**[yakkun]**

ahh our first years are so cute

except for that behemoth

**[tallnyan]**

what did i do??

╥﹏╥

[name]-chaaan!!

yaku-san's bullying me!!

╥﹏╥

**[name nyaan]**

ah so cute

♡´･ᴗ･`♡

**[tallnyan]**

[name]-chan called me cute 

(◕ㅅ◕✿)

now having finished catching up with the chats, you put away your phone and do your homework like the good student you are. you ignore any further chimes from your phone, assuming it to be from the group chat you have with the nekoma volleyball club. 

after finishing your homework, you did your nighttime routine and got ready for bed. you checked the locks on your door, made sure any unused plugged in electronics are out of the outlets and closed the windows for security; _now_ , you're ready for bed.

you checked your phone one last time, swiping away any unimportant notifications until one caught your eye.

**2** emails from **[unknown sender]**

tapping on the notification, you asked yourself who would be likely to send you an email to your personal account. it's not the one you easily give out to people, only using it for emergency contacts like school records and such.

from: **[oikawa tooru]**

to: **[lastname] [firstname]**

sub: [no subject]

[name]-chaaan!! you left without giving me your number!! and it wasn't listed in our cutie phil's records ●︿● but this email is!! (≧∀≦)

from: **[oikawa tooru]**

to: **[lastname] [firstname]**

sub: **please!!**

also pls don't block me ༼☯﹏☯༽

_**oh my god**. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah,, this was long. u betcha it'll only get longer and girthier from here ;)


	4. 𝚏 𝚘 𝚞 𝚛  ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the team rejoices with the official return of their ace and libero! golden week has finally come, and so far, everything's been smooth sailing! but surprise, surprise! hinata got lost, and you went to find him...
> 
> only to find yourself in trouble.

**april 19, friday**

as soon as you placed your lunchbox back into your bag, you pushed your chair back and immediately run out of your classroom. you head to where the third year classrooms are, your eyes fixated on the signs above the doors, searching for the one that's labeled 3-3.

you stop by a classroom and check back on the sign above you. their window is open, letting outsiders look into their room, so you do: scanning past the multitude of desks and students, you spot a familiar mop of long, brown hair tied into a low bun; he's got his head down to his desk, and his bent, crossed arms are cushioning his head under. _this is asahi-senpai's classroom alright._

someone near the window blocks your view of your teammate, bending down to prop his arms by the windowsill. he's sporting an interested look, and you can feel his intense stare observing your every feature that's visible to his eye.

"oh, a female kouhai! who could you be looking for?" he leans in closer to you, the smirk on his lips widening. "could it be, you're looking for a boyfriend?"

unfortunately for him, you feel the urgency to talk with asahi more than dealing with him. you forced a laugh, still wanting to be respectful to asahi's classmate. "you're so funny, senpai! may i excuse asahi-senpai, please?"

"ah! it's the same girl who hugged azumane yesterday!" another guy stands before you, next to his troublesome classmate. "do you want me to call him for you?" he asks politely, to which you give him a thankful smile and a nod of your head.

asahi hears his name being called, and he leans back to seat up properly. he turns to the owner of the voice and sees two of his classmates next to you, leaning slightly away so you're visible to the volleyball player. instantly, he stands up to approach you, "[name]-chan!"

"asahi-senpai!" you yell out softly, waving your dominant hand at him. "come out for a second!" 

"oh, [lastname]-san!" you hear a familiar cheery voice call out. you turn to your right and see the same first year duo from yesterday, stopping just after turning a corner. "you're here too?"

"you guys again?" asahi asks behind you, stepping out of his classroom when the orange-haired first year called out to you. the two step in near you and asahi, a humbled look slightly on their faces. 

"why the interest in me, when i've never even practiced together with you?" he asks the hinata and kageyama. "you won against aobajousai with the current line up, right? and you didn't even have nishinoya then."

"if," hinata yells out suddenly. kageyama looks at him in annoyance, slightly embarrassed for his sudden outburst in public, _and_ in front of the third year classrooms. "if asahi-san doesn't come back, then the second and third years won't be happy at all!! that' why," he mumbles the last part, but you hear it regardless; your eyes widen and you look away from them, your face feeling slightly hot at his claim. 

you can feel asahi's stare at you, switching it from you to the first year duo.

"your voice was too loud!" kageyama scolds his fellow first year. asahi, then, laughs at the two before him.

"you guys are interesting, but..." he looks down, his eyes turning cloudy at his thoughts. "i'm sorry. the image of hitting a ball that's knocked down by a tall blocker is still fresh in my mind... i still remember fearing that we would surely have a shutout and bringing about my own downfall."

hinata fidgets for a bit before he speaks, his voice slightly embarrassed. "you might think it's conceited to be told this by a first year sh... shortie, but..." 

"i won't think that at all," asahi reassures him. "what is it?"

"i understand what you mean," he says, looking up at the ace in front of him. "because i'm short and i don't have any technique, i would only get stopped by blockers, but..." he points a finger to the male beside him. "now i have this guy's toss, so i can evade even the tallest blockers!

"the blockers are right in front of me, so when the disappear..." he stretches his arms wide in front of him, emphasizing his next words. "i can see everything on the other side of the net stretching out below me."

asahi turns melancholic at his words. _he knows the feeling, he's probably remembering what hinata's describing just now_ , you say your observations to yourself.

"and then," hinata continues on; his hand reaches up above his head, imitating a spiking motion. "the ball hits my hand at the highest point, and the weight of the ball in my hand is like... like..." he struggles to find an appropriate word to fit his emotions. "it's this awesome feeling...

"i really love it!" you smile at hinata's obvious passion, his energy influences you to smile at him and his words.

"you should really get your thoughts together before talking." kageyama tells him, and he lets out an embarrassed sound at the back of his throat. 

asahi glances down at his hand in nostalgia, all knowing of the feeling of what hinata's describing.

"i'm jealous of you, asahi-san," hinata recovers, returning to look seriously at the third year before him. "as i am now, i don't have the height or the power to break through blockers on my own, but you have all of that. you're probably been blocked a lot of times up to now, but you've gotten even more spikes through, right? that's why everyone calls you an 'ace'."

the three males stay sill for a moment, the sound of students talking becoming background noise to your group's silence. you open you mouth to say something, but you get cut off by the loud sound of the bell ringing, signalling the end of lunch break.

"time's up. we're going back, hinata." the mentioned male is reluctant to do so, which causes kageyama to hit him at the back of his head. "move it already, moron! we'll be late!" hinata starts walking, moving in front of his fellow first year while pouting.

kageyama looks back at asahi, calling out to him with a slightly hesitant tone. "um... it's a given that you can't win on your own. that's why there are six people on the court. i came to understand that just recently as well, so i can't make any arrogant comments, though... excuse us."

you both look at their backs, their figures slowly disappearing from your sights. asahi looks down at you, his hand coming up to your head to ruffle your hair slightly. 

"you should get going too, [name]-chan." you hug the ace, tightening your grip at his middle for a solid second before loosening it, but still keeping him in your arms.

"i think you very much well know why i came here, senpai," you tell him directly, your voice slightly muffled by his clothes, but he still listens intently to you regardless.

"look, i know that you're beating yourself up from the match with dateko. i just wanna let you know that _no_ , you aren't responsible for our loss and _no,_ you aren't a failure as an ace _._ no one from the team is blaming you for what happened. 

"no matter how many times you were blocked, you never spiked half-heartedly, and throughout the whole game, you always gave it your all. so, please..." you tightened your grip on the third year once again, slightly burying your face to his stomach. 

"continue to do your best with us this year too!" 

asahi says nothing for a while, and you take this as your cue to let go of him. you step back from him and give him a small, sad smile.

"even the first years want you to come back, asahi-senpai. everyone needs you at the club." you tell the third year softly. despite his appearance, you knew that he was a big softie from the moment you met him. he's very warm, gentle and comforting, and underneath him is a very gentle and delicate heart. you know that under his "wild" appearance, he's nothing but a giant teddy bear. 

as a child (and even now), you're comforted by hugging a soft, cuddly friend: the warm feeling of hugging a teddy bear makes you calm down and alleviates your bad thoughts.

you just hoped that today, with the help of your words, you're the one who's being comforting. you wanted him back to the club, but you wanted him to be happy with his decision first and foremost, as your precious friend.

"i'll go now, but just... keep their words in mind, alright?"

* * *

outside the gym, asahi lingers around after dismissal. he walks near to the slightly opened doors of the gym, hearing various echoing shouts and familiar voices from the inside. from the gap in the door, he can see kageyama and hinata playing on their own.

"one more, one more!" 

"shut up, i get it!"

right before his eyes, he sees it: hinata's monster-like ability to jump high above the net, and kageyama's crazy pinpoint accuracy on his tosses. together, they both do their signature freak quick, causing asahi to stand still in amazement. he remembers their words from earlier, from hinata's feelings when spiking a ball to kageyama's realization that there are five other people in the court with him. he remembers nishinoya calling out to him, telling him to spike everything the ace has got. 

_but eventually, i became scared to call for a toss._

"alriiight! we're gonna score with quick attacks against the 'cats', too!" hinata exclaims. he gasps at the choice of words, and his mind remembers their old school rival, nekoma high school. _a match with them?!_

"there's a practice match on the last day of golden week," daichi informs him from behind. asahi lets out a surprised sound, his facial expression showing that he's scared of the captain. 

"what's with that 'geh'?!" he asks in his signature scolding tone. "oi, don't run away!" asahi tries to climb over the hallway's low walls, stopping in the middle of it to look back at daichi.

"but you're scary when you're mad!"

"i'm not particularly mad right now!" asahi brings back his leg inside and walks cautiously near daichi, who sighs at the other's actions. "you heard, right? those nekoma guys will be coming.

"well, from our perspective, it's like hearing of something out of folklore. it's not that old of a story, though." he mutters the last part to himself. "and it's not as if the present day karasuno and nekoma have any sort of connection, but now that this match against the 'cats' we've heard so much about has become our revival after a number of years, so tensions are really running high."

"but i just can't face suga or nishinoya," asahi admits, looking down to the ground in shame. daichi looks surprised for a second before lightly chuckling.

"geez, you really..." he clamps down a hand at the ace's shoulder with a huge smile on his face. "with that huge body of yours, you're just as wimpy as always! you're completely the opposite of nishinoya!"

"be more a little indirect when saying stuff like that..." asahi says monotonously, his face deadpanned of any facial reaction.

"don't worry! suga, and, of course, nishinoya, won't be a problem! unlike you, they're open minded after all!" asahi narrows his eyes at the captain, his voice turning skeptical.

"didn't you have a 'fundamentally kind' sort of personality?"

"except toward you! because you're a wimp!" daichi answers him without missing a beat. asahi goes silent as daichi continues to talk. "skipping out for a month, or things being awkward, or difficult, none of that matters." he turns around, walking away slightly from the ace. 

"if you think you might still like volleyball, that's enough reason to return." daichi remembers something, causing him to stop in his tracks. "ah, and also, because there's a guy in the club who has the dream of becoming an 'ace'." daichi turns back to hit asahi on his arm, then stomps toward the gym. 

unbeknownst to the two older males, you were leaning against the wall right next to the doors, holding a finger to your lips as a sign for the two first years to keep quiet about your presence. listening to their conversation, and the fact that asahi came by to the gym after the talk on lunch break, made you very happy. you course you could've jumped out of your hiding spot, but...

daichi's [look of surprise](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/34/a9/d4/34a9d4f607ed63bff96e0b3d2c800c40.jpg) when you aimed a phone to his face after surprising him at the door is the better decision, after all. plus, you got precious blackmail material for future use. 

the rest of the team arrive at the gym shortly after. you helped kiyoko collect and refill the players' water bottles, readying them for immediate available use.

takeda appears by the doors, greeting everyone a good work today. daichi yells out for the team to gather up, but stops himself when he sees a familiar person behind their club advisor.

"i'll introduce to you!" takeda informs the team. "starting today, this is who'll be handing coaching. ukai-kun!" next to him is a taller male with bleached blonde hair, the ends turning up due to the tension from his headband.

"up through the match with nekoma, that is," he notifies everyone.

"eh? but, he's the guy from sakanoshita, right?" tanaka asks loudly, his eyes wide and his face in disbelief. "is he really a coach?"

"he's an alumnus of this school and coach ukai's grandson!" takeda answers the second year, and the team erupts in surprise.

"you're from 'sakanoshita', right? aren't you?" hinata questions ukai, who tells the tangerine-haired first year that the shop actually belongs to his mothers' family. 

"we've got no time to lose, so hurry up and get to it! i wanna see what sort've players you are, so we're gonna have a game at six thirty! i've already called your opponents!"

"eh? opponents?" daichi asks ukai, who responds with a knowing grin.

"the karasuno neighborhood association team."

"damn, getting everyone at this time on a weekday really was impossible..." ukai just finished a call with their libero, flipping his phone closed. after a few minutes, a couple of people around his age enter the gym, waving at their old teammate and greeting the team. "sorry for having you guys come here so suddenly!"

"this takes me back," someone from the group sighs and comments in nostalgia.

"and here i was thinking they'd be older since he called it a neighborhood association..." tsukishima observes when he sees the group of people who just entered. yamaguchi agrees with the giant blonde, his eyes fixed on their forms. 

you helped out the other players warm up for the practice match, specifically the second year ~~bench~~ trio, since they arrived the latest; narita and ennoshita said that they were discussing a group project with their classmates and kinoshita was held back because he was in charge of cleaning duty for the day. 

you knew how much they were guilty with their mistake of skipping practice, and you tried not to let them beat themselves up too much. you heard ennoshita call their group a 'disgrace' once after they returned to the club last year, and you immediately hit each of them at the back of their heads, promising them that you'd hit them harder if you heard them refer to themselves that way again.

this year, you hope and aim to grow closer with them, along with the first years. 

_it'll nice if i was close with everyone in the club..._ was your first thought when you joined last year. despite your current close relationship with most of the team, you were shy and awkward at first.

seeing the interaction between the now third year group made you slightly envious of their intimate friendship, and you wished you had someone to be that close and intimate as well, until you realized that you _yourself_ needed to become that person first. 

now, you hoped that you'd become a comforting friend to everyone on the team; you hoped to become their pillar; you hoped you'd become someone they'd turn to in times of need; and you hoped you'll make precious memories with them to look back to in the future with a smile on your face.

you were now standing on the sidelines near the scoreboard, your notebook containing the players' stats and information open in your hand and the other gripping a pencil. you placed the sports medical kit behind you by the wall just in case, ready and prepared for anything.

"aaalright, it's about time to get started!" the team yells out and proceeds to their designated positions on the court. ukai notices nishinoya staying still, not moving from his place unlike the rest. "what's the problem?" he asks with his hands on his hips.

daichi approaches ukai, awkwardly apologizing and trying to excuse nishinoya out of the game. the coach then asks him if he's injured, to which the captain denies.

"what the heck? he ain't injured, right?" he turns to look at the third year. "i don't really get it... then how about joining the neighborhood association team? our libero's got work and couldn't come." daichi apologizes to the new coach for the trouble.

"still down two people, huh.... what do you wanna do? guess we'll take some guys from the bench..."

"ah! it's asahi-san!" hinata exclaims loudly, and you all look over to the owner of the voice to see him clutching to the rails of the windows, his feet against the wall before him to rest his body weight. "asahi-san!"

you look over to nishinoya in worry; he's staying still in his current position, staring blankly unlike the rest of the people inside the gym. 

"asahi-saaan?!" tanaka exclaims loudly, his face clearly expressing his excitement, and he goes near the windows to see the ace himself. ukai heads over to the doors and peaks his head outside, ready to scold him.

"the hell, a latecomer, huh? you messing with me, huh? what's your position!!"

from your place, you don't hear asahi's response, but you see and hear ukai urge him to get in and warm up quickly because the other team is still short on players.

"now! move it!!" he demands the third year.

asahi reluctantly enters the gym after placing his shoes by the door, his eyes not meeting anyone else's, fixed on staring at the floor. you busy yourself observing the ace, unaware that the new coach had asked the club to lend one of the setters for the other team.

"suga-san?!" you turn your head to see kageyama behind the mentioned male. on the other side of the court, you don't hear what he tells to his fellow setter, but you hear sugawara's words clearly when the gym goes silent after.

"when.. you joined... kageyama," he hesitates his next words, unknowing of how to deliver his thoughts appropriately. "i thought we'd compete for the regular setter spot, but also in some aspects... i think i was relieved.

"the setter is the pivoting point of a team's attack. he must be absolutely steadfast, but i was scared... of tossing the ball... i was scared of that the spikers would be blocked over and over again as a result of my toss, so i hid in the shadow of the overwhelmingly skilled kageyama....

"and i... was relieved!" seeing sugawara admit those words aloud tore your heart apart. he doesn't talk about it when you joined him and the rest of the team on the way home, but you had a feeling that he felt somewhat this way. he's always thinking of the team before himself, and adding to what happened on last year's match with date tech...

"if i think about the instant a spike is knocked down, i'm still scared, even now. but..." the third year setter turns to asahi, his voice growing louder. "let me toss to the ball to you one more time, asahi." his fellow third year looks shocked, surprised at his teammate's words. 

"that's why i'm joining this side, kageyama." he looks back at the first year, a slightly smile on his lips. "i'm not going to lose." and kageyama, in his typical competitive fashion, says that he, too, won't lose.

the gym's mood turns lighter after the first year setter's promise, and you smile in the background. _looks like everything's coming together._

* * *

the match is going smoothly.

witnessing asahi, nishinoya and sugawara working together once again after a few long weeks, when you've seen them playing together on an almost daily basis for the majority of the year, almost brought tears to your eyes; you were incredibly happy for them to reconcile with not only themselves, but everyone else. 

together with takeda, you looked at ukai and the newcomers' reaction upon seeing hinata jump for the first time, satisfied at seeing their puzzled and amazed expressions, and even more so when the freak duo performed their signature quick attack near the end of the first set. 

at the second set match point for the karasuno neighborhood association team, however, hinata surprised everyone by receiving a spike to the forehead.

you immediately move, turning around to open your sports medical kit and grabbing an ice pack from the mini cooler. you grabbed a large towel as well, quickly wrapping it lightly around the ice pack, and head over to hinata, who's holding his forehead with both his hands as a way to alleviate the pain.

"are you okay?" you ask the first year, kneeling down beside him and pushing his hair out of his forehead gently to observe the growing bump on his forehead. the rest of the team surrounds the first year on the ground.

"ah, he's alive," nishinoya bluntly comments while asahi stutters his apology on the opposite side of hinata. 

"a-are you okay?! i'm so sorry!!"

you press the wrapped ice pack on his forehead, holding his head with a hand behind it to inspect if he developed a bump there as well from the impact of falling down. he tries to sit up, but you push him down to the ground gently.

"i'm okay," he says. his left hand comes up to hold the ice pack to his own forehead. "sorry about that..." daichi suggests for him to take a break, and you speak up to agree with the captain but hinata quickly interrupts.

"i-i'm really fine! i just wasn't able to dodge it.. it's no big deal... and i'm use to getting hit in the face with a ball!"

"don't get used to something like that!" you and sugawara say at the same time, although he said it calmy while you scolded the first year. hinata freezes before you, his eyes fixed on whatever sight's in front of him. you turn your head behind you to see kageyama glaring at him in anger, staring at him intensely.

hinata moves to hide himself behind you while kageyama slowly walks towards him in slow steps. 

"what were you doing, spacing out... during a match... and don't hide behind [lastname]-san!" hinata leans to his side, revealing himself to the first year setter. he stutters and lets out a series of random sounds, his anxiety overpowering his ability to talk coherently. asahi, nishinoya and the other players who kneeled next to hinata all move to stand up and give way for the angry first year setter.

_i'm getting the same vibes from when hinata accidentally served to kageyama's head during our practice match with seijou..._

"i know all about it," kageyama sighs at him. "' _an ace is really cool, but my best weapon being a decoy is so plain and lame_.' ' _if i had height and power like azumane-san, i could become an ace._ '" hinata stands up behind you, still clutching the towel-wrapped ice pack to his forehead. 

"i'm- i'm not thinking that at all! not... at all.. but..."

"you get that there's an ace here, so aside from being interested in him and looking up to him... you're also jealous, aren't you." hinata looks down, embarrassed and slightly shocked to hear his exact thoughts being said aloud by his partner. "during a match is no time to be thinking about unnecessary stuff." 

"what's wrong... with being envious of him... someone like you, who's always been tall, wouldn't understand at all!" he yells in anger, surprising you and further angering kageyama. _please don't tell me they're gonna fight..._

luckily, it gets interrupted when another teacher opened the doors to the gym and called out for the volleyball club wrap up because it's already past their usual dismissal. takeda quickly takes matters into his hands and promises to take responsibility for the team. the interrupter exits the gym shortly after, and takeda closing the doors of the gym once again.

daichi apologizes to the club advisor. "thanks for handling it."

"so cool, take-chan!" tanaka praises, and he turns his head to give him a thumbs up and a smile on his face.

"okay!" daichi calls out. "let's get the match started up again!"

the second set ends with the karasuno neighborhood association team's win, ultimately ending the match as well. at a little past eight pm, the alumni said their goodbyes, quoting the current team's (read: nishinoya and kageyama) statements and exclaims from earlier.

"' _call out for the toss, ace!_ ' man...youth really is great," shimada, as he had introduced himself earlier, comments. another alumnus quotes kageyama from when hinata was doubting to become a decoy.

"saying stuff like ' _so long as i'm here, you will be the strongest'_ , high schoolers sure are cool!"

they say their advice before leaving, telling the team that although they're still lacking, they just have to work though till they improve. the team says their thanks and greets them goodbye as well. ukai calls for a short meeting after.

"in general..." he starts, "you need to work on receives! if you can't do that, then you're not gonna get anywhere. starting tomorrow, we're gonna diligently work on it!"

"kaaay! thank you!" the team yells out with a slight bow of their heads. ukai reminds them to stretch, and the team disperses; the players go and do their cool down stretches on the court while kiyoko and you move to clean up and store everything back in it's place. 

while you drag one side of the sports medical kit to store it away, you see hinata and asahi talk, occasionally hearing the words "ace" and "decoy". you smile at the scene, happy that hinata has the courage to talk to the ace after what happened earlier. 

you return just in time to see the team gather in a circle. you quickly take out your phone, opening the camera to see them huddle and yell out their mantra.

"karasuno, fight!"

"ossu!"

now, all that's waiting for us is the training camp. 

* * *

**april 22, monday**

one week and three days before training camp begins. 

"hinata, you dumbass!" he ~~hinata boke'd~~ yelled out. he's holding the tangerine-haired male by the collars of his shirt, bringing him slightly above ground. to say that he's red faced is an understatement; you'd actually be worried and check in on him and his blood pressure if it weren't for hinata's previous statement.

"what's wrong with admitting that you have a crush on [lastname]-san?" quickly, kageyama drops hinata to the ground and starts hitting him. the latter shield his face with his forearms, turning his head slightly away from the former's hits and looks for someone to help him, his eyes catching yours.

"[lastname]-san, please help me!" at his request, you come to his aid and gently tap the setter's back. immediately, he freezes upon contact and turns to look at you with a scared look. hinata grabs this opportunity to get up from the ground and hide behind you. "thank you, [lastname]-san!! you're an angel!!"

tanaka takes notice of the commotion and stands up next to you with a knowing smirk on his lips. he hooks an arm around the first year behind you, "ne, hinata. can you say that again, just a little louder?"

and hinata, _the legend he is,_ does so. 

"k-kageyama-kun has a crush on [lastname]-san!"

everyone in the gym turns to look at hinata with wide eyes and slightly flushed cheeks. _hinata... we'll be praying for you!,_ everyone wishes for the first year's safety as kageyama turns his head with a dark aura surrounding him. 

out of nowhere, nishinoya drops the real question, "don't most of us have a crush on her, though? also, it's just a crush." 

cue silence in the court; everyone freezes while nishinoya turns his head left and right, surprised at everyone's unified reaction. his eyebrows furrow down and he starts defending himself. "i-it's just she's a really nice girl! and she's very comforting! and she takes notice of the little things and is ready to help us with anything!"

"that's... true..." asahi hesitantly replies. sugawara chimes in after, telling about the time you helped him out with homework even though you're a year lower than him. 

"she's really smart, too. she was patient enough to teach me even though i couldn't get anything."

in a odd twist, everyone starts telling their own stories of how you helped them previously one by one; they form into a half circle, sharing their experiences and their reasons why they like you. if kageyama was red-faced, imagine _your_ face when you called out to the team to interrupt their (shameless) group sharing.

"i'm right here, you know!"

~~minna, boke!~~

* * *

**april 25, thursday**

one week before training camp begins. 

one week left before the start of the karasuno male volleyball club's training camp, and you've put asahi's hair into [pigtails](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/57/21/75/5721755300c7b1f01ab59805a2202106.jpg) during one of their breaks.

the players surrounding asahi erupt in a mix of reactions. as per usual, the judgmental first year duo is laughing their asses off at the sight, along with tanaka and the second year trio. daichi and sugawara are stunned, as well as the freak duo, unknowing of what to say or comment.

oddly enough, nishinoya gasps in amazement and says that he wants to be the next person whose hair is put in twin pigtails. "me too! [name], me too!"

"ryuu-kun, your hair isn't long enough," you tell the libero when he's leaning into your arm as you tie the last pigtail on the ace. "i can probably do it, but i can't gather all of your hair like asahi-senpai's."

"is it weird that i want to play in these?" asahi asks from below you. you're sitting on the stage while he's sitting on the floor, and it's the perfect height for you to comfortably reach his hair. 

right on time, ukai returns to the gym and yells out for the team to do a practice match. he does a double take when he sees asahi, his eyes widening considerably and his mouth opening noticeably.

after practice, you quickly snapped a picture where the team surrounds asahi, holding their faces in a flower cup pose while asahi makes a double peace sign near his eyes. let's just say that today was full of laughter and good vibes overall.

you're excited to show these to other players, proud of your hard work. _another one for my blackmail album~_

* * *

**april 29, monday**

three days before training camp begins. 

during classes, you participated less in real life and participated more in the group chat you have with kenma and kuroo, as always. to your surprise, it's kenma who starts the conversation, complaining to his teammate why kuroo convinced him to not quit volleyball sometime last year. 

**[puddinghead]**

i hate you kuro

i could be playing video games

but instead i have to play practice matches

with other schools now

**[bedhead]**

yea

isn't that fun??

**[puddinghead]**

in what universe

does getting tired mean fun

**[bedhead]**

a lot of schools have arranged a prac match with us!!

we'll be meeting new people!!

and discover new strategies!!

**[puddinghead]**

no

just go away kuro

* * *

**may 2, wednesday**

today's the first day of training camp.

just before eight pm hits, you all head over to the training camp facilities provided and used by the school for extracurricular activities.

"uooo!" hinata cries out in amazement. "it's my first time!!"

he continues to cry out at every room you all enter: from the rooms they'll be sleeping in to even the _bathrooms_. kageyama tells him to calm down a bit, and hinata explains that he's never been to a training camp.

"what's so fun about spending all day around this filthy bunch?" tsukishima asks the smaller middle blocker. in an instant, nishinoya and tanaka stick out their tongues and flash him their middle fingers at his ungratefulness. 

"oi, tsukishima! you bastard! so long as kiyoko-san and [name] is within a five hundred meter radius, there's no way the place will stink!"

"shimizu's house is nearby, so once she's finished her work, she'll head home," sugawara breaks the news to the two. "that's always the case, you know?"

the two second years drop to their knees, their hearts broken and their souls shattered from hearing it. "ryuu... we still have [name]!"

"that's right, noya-san! what about [name]-chan?"

"ah, she'll be staying with ukai and takeda-sensei." the second years seat on their soles, feeling some kind of entity lifting their spirits and patting their little supernatural bodies' on the back with a wink. "thank you!!"

"everyone, dinner's ready!" you call out to the team, opening the doors to the kitchen while still wearing your apron and holding a wooden spoon. you see the second year duo on the floor and you question the ones behind them with a raised eyebrow. 

nearing ten pm, you've settled well in the futons you've laid out in the room. both takeda and ukai were considerate enough to make a makeshift curtain in the middle of the room for you to have some privacy, and you thanked them for their kind actions while preparing the room earlier.

you were about to sleep when you heard someone shriek from downstairs. your side of the room was nearer to the stairs, thus it was most likely only you to hear it compared to the other two already asleep males. you waited for a few seconds to see if they've heard it, but they continue to stay still and sleep peacefully.

deciding to check it out, you slipped on a long white yukata (patterned with little crows, how cute!) around you, tying a gentle knot around your waist while heading downstairs. you turned on the lights near the stairs, and looking down, you see that the first floor barely has its lights on. you hear hushed words growing louder as you continue to descend.

you hear another scream, and you finally reached the final set of stairs before you reach the first floor. you see tanaka, hinata and nishinoya on the ground while asahi stands before them with his hands level to his chest. 

"it's me, it's asahi!" he informs the scared trio. despite his attempts at convincing them, they continue to scream and wiggle back and away for the poor third year. 

"hey," you call out from the stairs. "you guys okay?" the trio looks up slightly and sees you in white; the light from upstairs shines against you, creating a halo-like, backlit effect on your form. straight away, they cry out for you and struggle to get back on their feet.

"[lastname]-san!!"

"[name]-chan!!"

"[name]!!"

"[n-name]-chan..." asahi cries as well, but for a different reason than the three. you descend to the first floor fully, and the trio springs up to head towards you. 

"an angel!!"

"you guys!!" daichi yells out angrily from above. 

* * *

**may 3, thursday**

  
golden week begins with a morning run for the team. you were back at the facilities with kiyoko and takeda making lunch for yourselves and everyone, cooking a large batch of everything so all you have to do is portion it per day and heat it up when needed. 

the team, meanwhile, runs up on a slightly inclined path. somehow kageyama and hinata find the strength and stamina to outrun the whole group and compete who'd arrive at the top the fastest. kageyama loses his speed, but hinata continues to run far from the group until he notices that he's alone. 

he turns around, seeing nobody at all. "did i... go the wrong way? nobody's coming." he looks ahead and sees another person sitting with his head down and a phone in his hand. walking closer, he notices that he had bleached hair and his black roots showing; he's also wearing a sports uniform in the color red. _i haven't seen one like that around here before_ , he observes.

"what're you doing~?" he asks while running up to him. the other male stutters a bit before answering.

"i... got lost...?" his eyes are on the ground and his body faces away from hinata, but the tangerine continues to ask him anyway.

"eh? you came here from a different part of japan?" 

"yeah," the blonde nods. they both turn quiet soon, the only noise coming from his phone and the game he's playing.

"is that fun?" hinata asks, crouching down right next to the seat male, who panics for a bit by looking back and forth from his phone to hinata. 

"er, umm... this... not really... it's just a way to kill time..." he holds up the phone and sets it back down, letting the conversation go silent again. hinata, then lets out a gasp when he notices a familiar pair of shoes from the stranger's open bag.

"you play volleyball?!" the stranger lets out a surprised sound. "those shoes! they're for volleyball, aren't they?"

"ah... yeah..."

"i'm in a volleyball club too!" hinata yells out enthusiastically, happy to finally find something he has in common with the other male. he introduces himself, "i'm hinata shouyou!" 

the other male hesitates before reluctantly giving his name. "kozume..."

"'kozume'? is that your name?" hinata asks. 

"kozume... kenma..."

"so you're name's kenma!" hinata exclaims. "are you in high school?"

"yeah."

"what year? i'm a first year!" he looks at kenma expectantly, assuming that he's also a first year like him.

"second..."

"crap, you're an upperclassman!" hinata backs away considerably, surprised at his answer. "i'm sorry!" kenma dismisses his apology, claiming that he doesn't like that sort of sports hierarchy.

"um... do you like volleyball?" hinata asks, leaning against the fence next to kenma. 

"hrm... not really... but i play anyway... i don't dislike it, but... i don't like.. getting worn out or any of that..." he looks at hinata at the corner of his eyes before looking away. he holds his hands together and fidgets. "still... my fr-friends play... and they'd probably have a hard time without me..."

hinata hums before answering. "i think you'd have more fun if you came to like it, though."

"it's fine..." he tells hinata. "i'm just going to play during high school, anyway..."

"what position do you play?" hinata asks, and kenma tells him that he's a setter. the tangerine (reluctantly) is reminded of his fellow first year setter, and he starts to complain to kenma.

"really? you're kinda completely different from our setter! ours is a guy that gives off more of a "grr" feeling!" he imitates a bear-like pose when he says the sound effect. "by the way, i'm a middle blocker! it's really weird, don't you think?" kenma looks up at him, surprised that hinata's words. the first year smiles sadly, remembering his new position in the court. "middle blocker is a position played by tall guys, after all."

"well, that's true, but... not really." kenma goes back to looking forward, continuing to fidget with his hands. hinata looks over to him in curiosity.

"when i go to games, they say that a lot about me, too," he admits to the middle blocker. "'the setter is a position for people with the highest level of ability, so why is this guy in that spot?' and stuff like that. sports aren't particularly my forte, either..." 

hinata is surprised that he's talking without hesitation nor spacing out his words. he asks kenma if his school is strong, to which kenma tells him that they were in the past, but fell into a decline at one point.

"still, lately," he turns his head to look at hinata, the wind gently swaying his hair around him. "i think we're strong."

hinata gets a feeling that's somewhat familiar, but new to him at the same time. his eyes widen and his composure gets lost for a moment. 

"which school... do you—"

"kenma!" someone exclaims loudly from the road just before them. he walks towards the duo with his jacket in his hands. 

"ah, it's kuro." kenma moves to stand up and grabs the bag on the ground. "well..." he walks to his teammate and turns around to wave at hinata. "until next time, shouyou."

hinata hears 'kuro' tell kenma to not stop wandering, to which the latter apologizes. _next time...?_ _crap! i was in the middle of a run!!_

"hinata!" someone yells out from behind him. he turns to the person and he immediately runs towards the owner of the voice. "don't go running of like that!"

"daichi and takeda were seriously worried, you know?" you scold him, holding the handlebars of the bike next to you. "they immediately started panicking when we told them you weren't back with us when they entered."

"i'm sorry, [lastname]-san..." he looks down to the ground in guilt, but he looks up when you dismiss it.

"also, call me [name]!"

_[name]?_ kuroo asks himself in his head. they're at a considerable distance away from the boy from earlier, but since they're in miyagi, he guessed it wouldn't hurt to try and see—

he stops in his tracks when he spots the familiar short, [color] haired girl. she's busy talking to the same boy, so she doesn't notice him staring. kenma turns to kuro, asking him why he suddenly stopped, when he sees a familiar girl as well. 

you look up and meet with a pair of two familiar, cat-like eyes staring at you intensely. 

oh, _fuck._

* * *

e x t r a ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

* * *

**neko nyaan** is now online

**[inuocat]**

reporting for duty!!

here's my [best photo](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcS7W1qf2eBz-Pr-UiwlXimDxNPUIe14hKtoQLumNNP23Ko0tD67&usqp=CAU), [lastname]-san!

**[acetora]**

WEAK

here's [mine ](https://66.media.tumblr.com/658b4637a28deb2b9dfb765e532549d1/176ce032951506ad-b9/s640x960/068aea757422c18b48dde8115d577903af74c511.jpg)while he was talking to kai

**[yakkun]**

lol i got [this](https://66.media.tumblr.com/402c6615d389f341ec145ac531933199/176ce032951506ad-c6/s640x960/80bff92c0a26ed191c53f456eb91a9b1a392fe01.jpg) while i was on the bench waiting to switch in

**[vicecattain]**

i didn't get kuroo

but i did get [kenma](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EVe552gU8AUnk3F.png)

**[name nyaan]**

kenma.. my baby ༼☯﹏☯༽

thank you everyone!!

these pics are top tier!!

i'm so ready to ruin their reputations

Ψ(￣∀￣)Ψ

**[pls ignore]**

kuroo-senpai doesn't have any reputation, anyways!

**[name nyaan]**

wait

who's he

who just chatted?

**[yakkun]**

oh

that's lev

**[pls ignore]**

[name]-cahn!!

that's so mean of you 

╥﹏╥

**[name nyaan]**

i'm sorry!!

ur nickname changed!!

**[pls ignore]**

:o

WHO DID THIS

WHO CHANGED MY NICKNAME??

**[yakkun]**

stop before i kick u off

**[pls ignore]**

yaku-san!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops


	5. 𝚏 𝚒 𝚟 𝚎  ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> while waiting for the day of the scheduled practice match with nekoma high school, you had expected a lot of things from the two: knowing them, they're either be really vocal about their thoughts, or they'd give you the silent treatment and move on after a few days, nothing in between. but of course, surprise, surprise! because their reactions are 100% NOT what you expected.
> 
> and you 100% do not know what to do.

**may 3, friday**

"also, call me [name]!"

_[name]?_ just hearing your name had kuroo's chest feeling warm and fuzzy; the way his blood came rushing through his veins, making him feel more alive than before, was something he couldn't fathom nor explain, not even with the help of all the words that exist in a dictionary.

immediately, his mind paints a picture of you smiling at him during the time the two of you first met: you had knocked on his house at the news that a new neighbor had moved in, and your mother made you bring them a freshly baked pastry (that you helped make!) as a welcoming gift. 

his mom had rushed in when she saw his son just staring at the door, slightly worried and curious why he's not reacting or responding, but as soon as she saw you holding up a small, circular dish of apple pie, she immediately let you in and introduced to you her son, making his first friend to be _you_.

_i miss her..._

it's only been a few hours since he last talked to her, but he already longs to pull out his phone and send a text her way. he's itching to ask you if you're free to do something later or tomorrow after they're done with their scheduled practice matches of the day, eager to see you in person after a few months, but he knows that it still won't be allowed since they're here as a club, but he can still dream and hope.

originally, he and kenma were planning to surprise you at your house sometime this weekend, but there's just one problem...

they don't know where you live.

ever since you moved out alone to miyagi, you've always visited the two in tokyo whenever you could, and not once have they visited you here since you always insisted that you'd be the one coming to them and not the other way around. it's not like asking for your home address out of the blue, when they haven't told you that they're coming to miyagi, wouldn't come off as the slightest bit suspicious; in addition, they're in a completely different location from what they're used to; from a bustling, crowded city like tokyo to the spacious, peaceful atmosphere of miyagi, they would get lost, _easy_.

thus, they have absolutely no idea where _they_ are and where _you_ are. although...

it couldn't hurt to turn around, right? _it's not like the same [name] he's liked since they were children is right behind..._

he stops in his tracks when he spots the familiar short [color]-haired girl. she's busy talking to the same boy, so she doesn't notice him staring. kenma turns to kuroo, asking him why he suddenly stopped, when he _himself_ pauses as sees the familiar girl in the distance as well. 

you look up and meet with a pair of two familiar, cat-like eyes staring at you intensely. 

_... him._

oh, _fuck._

in an instant, you took hinata's hand and held the bicycle's handrails tightly with the other, and took off. you initially brought the bicycle with you since you didn't want to waste time nor effort while finding the lost first year. you didn't want to come back to the training camp facilities looking like you just finished the boys; training for the day.

well, _clearly_ , your efforts to conserve energy went to waste. 

you kept running and running, ignoring the questioning remarks from the first year you're dragging. funnily enough, your pace is faster compared to the volleyball player. perhaps you've awakened you inner usain bolt? (you assumed that hinata just ran out of energy while running earlier.)

as soon as you thought the distance between you and your childhood friend duo was at a considerable range, you let go of hinata. you slump against the bicycle and, consequently, struggle to keep your (as well as the bicycle's) balance due to it's two wheel structure.

"why did we run?" hinata asks in between his breaths, his hands to his knees and his form slightly bent in fatigue. 

"sorry for dragging you out like that," you struggle to gain your breath while apologizing to him. you feel how heavy your legs and how limited your lungs can store and replace air. _damn, i'm really out of shape_. "daichi and ukai wanted to get you back as fast as possible, so..."

"by some chance," he asks when he stops panting and regains his regular breathing pattern. he stands up and looks straight at you, "do you know them?"

although he's asking a basic question, you can feel the slightest bit of pressure to answer from him, knowing that if you play this off wrong, he'll either, he'll either, one, feel bad for asking and have his mood be dampened (possibly); or two, do the same time as one but on an 180° flip and incessantly ask you about it. your affinity with the tangerine haired male has gotten closer, and he's comfortable enough to be his energetic self to you since the past few days. 

you thought you had spent a couple minutes thinking to yourself, so you quickly answered him at the top of your head. in reality, a solid second has just passed. (you'll beat akaashi's ability to think and act decisively one day, you promised to yourself.)

"no! no, i don't... okay fine, i do," you admit to the first year with your head down. you let out a sigh, explaining to him the basics of your affiliations with the two males you just forced him to ran away from: you're all childhood friends, and you wanted to surprised them on the day of your practice match. 

"maybe you can still surprise them?" he asks optimistically. "we ran away right after they turned around, so it's not like they recognized you instantly, right?"

if only you could wish for that to be true. unfortunately for you, being their childhood friend, you know their little quirks and oddities inside out; you know for a _fact_ that kuroo has this god-like ability to see something for even just a split second and understand or recognize it immediately. how could he stay in college preparatory classes even if he doesn't participate or focus, then? moreover, he teaches kenma before any exam, and it's enough that kenma has never failed anything _since_. 

"yeah..." was your dejected reply, opting to amuse his suggestion even if your face expressed otherwise. "maybe, i can."

* * *

maybe, surprising someone isn't your forte.

maybe, surprising you is _their_ forte, because for the past few hours since you've eaten lunch and gotten back _and_ from practice, you prepared for the onslaught of questions and demand for answers from a clingy kuroo, as well as any passive aggressive remarks from kenma. however...

it doesn't exist in your current group just like kuroo having proper, neat hair doesn't exist, or just like kenma wanting to socialize doesn't exist. it's about as real as oikawa's phat ass: _it's doesn't fucking exist._

instead, they're talking about _dessert_ , of all things.

**[puddinghead]**

apple pies are the best, obviously

**[bedhead]**

u only say that bc [name] always bakes us apple pies whenever she comes here

**[puddinghead]**

like you don't fight over who gets the bigger slice

remember the cut you gave me one time

when i fell from my chair

because you tackled me?

**[bedhead]**

i do, and i am sorry about that

but my point still stands

u can't change my mind

cheesecake is the best

**[puddinghead]**

no

is hinata, perhaps, right for once?

_could it be that they didn't see me afterall? no, it couldn't be, i saw tetsu's eyes widen in recognition for the_ slightest _millisecond before i ran off with hinata in tow. then, are they planning something against me? what about kenma? did he see me too? 9 ran away before i could see his reaction... did tetsu not tell him? this is so weird, i'm getting the chills..._

and, all throughout the rest of the weekend and until monday morning, they both continue to chat like they normally would, not letting you give the impression that they saw or recognized you with hinata from two days ago. 

suspicious. _very suspicious._

* * *

"so, in two days, we'll be heading to the rumored karasuno high school, but, the question is..." yamamoto crouches down to his knees, still dressed in his full red jersey, in front of the two first years, inuoka and shibayama. "whether or not our, supposedly, fated rival karasuno has a female manager!

"i'll bet a häagen-dazs that they don't!"

"ehh?" inuoka lets out. "i'd be happy if they had one, so i'm going with yes!"

"same for me," shibayama agreed. yamamoto lets out a roar, pointing a finger towards both of them in anger.

"bastards!! it'd be frustrating as hell if they've got one when we don't!"

kuroo enters the room the team will be sleeping in for two days from one now, his mind still replaying the scene from earlier. his emotions and his thoughts are a mess: on one hand, he doesn't mind that you didn't tell them that you were part of a volleyball club, but at the same time, he can't help but be jealous that you joined a _male_ volleyball club, meaning you'll be surrounded by other _males_ that aren't him or kenma. 

and he doesn't understand what he feels about that, not just yet.

his thoughts get cut off when he sees yamamoto scream out to the large, open window that leads outside. "if that's the case, you better be prepared, karasunoo!"

"shut up, yamamoto!" he scolds the ace, but yamamoto continues to be bothersome, now targeting kenma, who's sitting peacefully with the soles of his feet together and his phone on his hand. unlike the ace, he's already changed into some loose pants and a white shirt, a simple black zip up hoodie keeping him warm. 

"i don't... care either way..." was his response, but his mind undoubtedly went back to what happened earlier in the morning after kuroo found him.

kenma, being kenma, doesn't really have an opinion when he found out you joined their rival's volleyball club. knowing your love for medicine and information, he figures that you're some sort of medic for them, and he's happy that you're able to practice and gain experience while still in high school. his other childhood friend, on the other hand, might not take it so lightly...

he remembers the plan kuroo told him earlier, and it makes kenma get excited. "i'm kinda looking forward to the match with karasuno."

instantly, yamamoto and the two first years jerk and yell out in surprise. "kenma, who never feels like doing anything, says he's looking forward to a match?!"

"yamamoto, if you've got that much energy, how about i make you practice more than everyone else.

"s-sorry... captain...""

* * *

**may 6, monday**

at eight forty in the morning, you and the team set out to walk to karasuno sougou sports park, specifically the ball game grounds. you were walking behind the rest of the players, next to kiyoko and trying to hide yourself from the inevitable. 

you arrive at the sports park just ten minutes before nine am, and the team stops when they see the opposite team standing before them. daichi calls for the team to line up, and the players do as the captains says, standing in front a player from nekoma high school.

hinata lets out a surprised gasp when he notices kenma on the other side, standing right in front of him. the other players beside them look in curiosity, even the up till kuro, who's at the opposite end of the line.

"greet your opponents!" daichi yells out; together, both teams bow and give their salutations.

"let's have a good game!!"

shortly after, both teams enter the gym, settling down their bags and going on separate ways to prepare themselves just before the match. you and kiyoko let the players go in first, double checking the contents of your bag in case you need a last ditch attempt to run to the training camp facilities and grab whatever you left. 

deeming your belongings to be complete, both you and kiyoko enter the gym. _ah, my shoelace is untied._

"shimizu-senpai, you can go ahead," you tell the third year manager as you bend down on one knee and tie up your shoelace. she turns to you and gives you a nod before proceeding to the venue. you caught up not long after, witnessing another player from the other team with a blonde mohawk and flushed cheeks looking at kiyoko. two other players, from the same team, are giving each other a high five, seemingly celebrating something about häagen-dazs.

"shimizu-senpai!" you catch up right next to her, easily stepping in beside you. the two of you made small talk.

"TWO?!" you turn to look at the commotion, curious about what they're making a big deal out of. _two?_ you look back at kiyoko and remember what you saw earlier. _ah, they meant two of us females?_

"woo! taketora-san, does this mean we get twice the haagen-dazs?!" the two other players turn to the guy with the blonde mohawk, taking up each of his sides. before they can say anything, however, 'taketora' runs up and away towards a set of doors.

"ahh! taketora-san, don't run away!" behind the two left behind nekoma players, you notice tanaka behind them. _he didn't pick a fight with this taketora dude, did he..._

you return your gaze to the front, continuing to walk with kiyoko until you both reach one of the benches and settle down you bags there. 

on the other side of the court, you notice daichi and kuroo exchanging handshakes with each other with obvious fake smiles. they continue to hold hands even though they've spotted shaking the others', and you can see the gears turning in their heads. _oya, they both look like cunning captains,_ you observed to yourself, chuckling a bit before taking out the contents of your bag.

you hear both of them make small talk, hearing the names of the schools and 'rivals' occasionally. suddenly, you feel a shiver run up and through your spine.

"how long have you had two managers?" you heard kuroo ask, his tone still sickeningly sweet and obviously fake. without a beat, daichi answers in the same tone, although much mellower, but still obviously fake and cheery.

"since last year! we're grateful that one acts as our medic, though. we're a very lucky team," he says with a fake laugh at the end. 

"interesting..." from behind you head, daichi tilts his head slightly to the side. kuroo notices his questioning look and chuckles, "oh nothing, she looks like someone i know."

you jump up, wanting to turn around and give him a punch but at the same time wanting to curl up when he just refers to you as someone he knows. _grr, '_ someone i know' _my ass! how dare you treat your first friend in tokyo that way!_

both teams warm up while their coaches talk with each other. from that you can hear, ukai and the younger coach from nekoma proclaim themselves as " _the eternal benchwarming club_ ", which gave you a chuckle as you helped kiyoko bring in the ball carts from the storage rooms. you set it on the corner edge of the court, right next to the area where players will serve.

"[name]-san!" hinata calls out to you, waving his hands above his head alike to how an excited puppy would wag its tiny tails. "could you help us warm up?"

"of course!" you half jogged to the first year who's at the end of the line while the ones in the very front of the line do sprints. when the rest of them are finished, you place yourself on one side of your court, since nekoma's still doing their warm up jog, so you're unable to use the full court.

"spiking practice!" daichi yells out, and they form a singular line on the opposite end of you. the captain, first in line, runs up to you and jumps, and you set a ball to him. he spikes, and the ball bounces from the ground to the wall and back into his hands. he stands parallel to you, ready to catch the strays balls after they've been spiked and tosses them to the ball cart behind you; the routine cycles through with the rest of the team players.

the game shortly commences after, and both team huddle together for their team mantra; daichi encourages the team about the new and still slightly awkward lineup.

"our opponent is an unfamiliar team, so we don't know how things will turn out, and we might end up slamming against the wall. but, when that happens, it'll be our chance to surpass it. let's do this!"

"osu!!"

"the practice match between nekoma high school and karasuno high school will now begin!" both teams greet each other a good game once again, lining at the back of the court and bowing at each other before taking their places in the court.

kenma is the first to serve, aiming at the back corner near asahi, who receives it but it goes a bit short.

"it's all 'cause you skipped out for a month!" nishinoya loudly scolds right next to him. hinata and kageyama switch places as the raven-haired setter chases after the ball; he sets to hinata, who's already at the net, and they perform their freak quick attack.

the gym is silent for a second before erupting in mixed reactions. 

"a quick from a place like that..?"

"so fast! what the?!"

"what the heck was that?" you hear nekomata ask, and together with ukai and takeda, you smile cunningly. _it never fails to satisfy me whenever i see their reactions._

the game goes on slowly; nishinoya gets switched out, and sugawara explains to takeda the rules, limits and exceptions of a libero while in a game. you stand near the bench, not wanting to sit down in case something bad happens, and sugawara pushes for you to sit. even though you tell him it's okay if you don't, he continues to push you anyway. 

"i told you, sit!"

"ah, koushi-senpai! i wanna—"

"sit!!" with a final push and pull, he manages to get you to seat beside takeda. "shimizu's at the scoreboard right now, so there's an empty seat for you at the bench!" his hands are still gripping the back of your jersey, and he positions himself right behind you. you rub your hands near your tailbone, slightly hurting due to the impact of your sudden sitting.

"it hurts," you whined, mumbling childish curses to the third year behind you. he hears it and lets go of your jersey to tilt your chin up and pinch both of your cheeks. forced to stay in your position, you grab onto his hands in an attempt to pull them away and continue to look up at the third year setter who's cooing at how squishy your cheeks are and how cute you look.

once you pulled his hands out of your cheeks, you grab this opportunity to flip his tease and grab _his_ cheeks, pinching it tightly but not enough to cause him too much pain. 

"koushi-senpai, how are you so pretty~" you coo at him.

it wasn't everyday that you admitted and told the third year how pretty he is, remembering how the first time you complimented him about his visuals nonchalantly made him blush and turn red _more_ than kageyama did last week; you made sure to take advantage of this special power move you've discovered since then.

out of the corner of your eye, you see ukai leaning over takeda, who leans away from the coach, and turns his head to glare at both of you, his eyes narrowing and his face leaning in as close to both of you as possible.. "stop yer flirtin'!" he grumbles, and everyone who heard him drops a sweat at him. 

you feel sugawara pull your hands away from his cheeks, holding them down and letting it plop back to your sides.

"sorry, coach..." both of you apologize to ukai. he lets out a sigh and returns back to sit properly, his gaze returning to the match before him.

"it looks like you're enjoying yourself, [lastname]-san," takeda comments after a few seconds of silence, with a knowing smile on his face. "is there a particular reason why?" he asks 'innocently' with a tilt of his head, his eyes closing because of how wide he's smiling.

"ah.. it's nothing, sensei!" you laugh awkwardly. sugawara's still standing behind you, now fiddling with the ends of your medium length hair. 

"okay..." he says with a teasing smirk. "i'm just saying, people might become jealous of y—"

"takeda-sensei!" both you and sugawara yell out, and ukai glances over to his right to glare at you two again. _don't wait for me to scold you two again_ , you can read from his facial expression, and you drop a sweat.

you return your gaze back to the court when you heard a whistle being blown. you forgot about the match and the other team in general, and you felt like you just got drenched in a cold water when you meet eyes with kenma:him and his piercing eyes... you feel as if he knows your next and every move. _i forgot that he's the very humanoid version of a cat... stupid cats and their stealthy, observant tendencies. i need to be careful._

* * *

_this is bad._

the game is on it's second set now; nekoma won the first set by having their #7 block hinata's spike, and even up till now, he's being blocked by the very same player.

"you wanna ask me why i'm not making hinata switch out, right?" ukai says all of a sudden. you perk up from the bench and see him glancing at tsukishima, who looks back at him, mumbling something under his breath that you can't hear.

"if this were an official match i'd probably substitute him... but right now, it's his chance to find a solution to this problem. still, if it looks like hinata is losing his fighting spirit, he should probably sit it out for a round." 

_i doubt he'd lose his fighting spirit this easily_ , you comment to yourself.

as a co-manager, one of your jobs is to observe the players intensively, collecting stats and information for the coach, or the players themselves, to use for improvement; and for the past few weeks, you've never once heard hinata say that he's tired, not physically nor mentally.

it's not just his crazy stamina, but it's also his ability to turn what normally would be disadvantages for him into opportunities. his height, for example: because he's shorter and has a more lithe body compared to most volleyball players, it gives him a slight advantage when moving around and jumping. there's less weight of him for gravity to fight back down, and combined with his natural athleticism, he's able to react quickly and jump high above the net. 

it's also the fact that he's constantly aiming to improve himself to be able to defeat his opponents. every time he sees you gathering information about any possible future opponents and asks them about them, no matter how scary their stats are compared to his, he always says that he's excited to fight them in the court.

if there's anything to describe hinata shouyou, it's being incredibly _tenacious._

so when you see nekoma's #7 follow through with a block hinata tried to evade, you knew that this wouldn't affect him negatively. but instead...

you see hinata smile and ask for another toss. 

the match continues, and kageyama fulfills hinata's wishes by tossing to him one more time; this time, however, he misses. 

"just now..." you, along with everyone who heard the third year setter, turn to him; sugawara's eyes are wide and his mouth is open in shock. "hinata looked at the toss!" 

"but that's only natural, isn't it?" yamaguchi questioned from beside him.

"normally, it would, but..."

"in hinata's case, he's always left the ball to kageyama and focused solely on his swing!" sugawara finished your sentence, looking back and forth between yamaguchi and hinata. on the bench, takeda panics when he sees ukai getting up from the bench to kneel on the floor on one knee to get the referee's attention, his hands signaling for a time out. the referee, seeing ukai's handsign, whistles for karasuno's first timeout.

you stay seated on the bench while takeda and ukai stand up, and the team forms a circle near you. you see hinata panicking, worried that he's upset kageyama by opening his eyes as if he lost his faith in the setter's toss.

"why are you getting all worked up—"

"kageyama!" ukai suddenly yells out. "toss the ball to hinata a little bit softer than your usual," he tells the setter. "not the direct delivery you always use, but—"

"indirect delivery," kageyama finishes for him. behind the setter, hinata leans to his side to look at the coach, his face clearly confused. 

"rather than the straight-forward movement of your usual toss, use one that's just a bit floaty," ukai explains. "me telling you to change it all of a sudden might make things difficult, though..."

"i'll do it," kagayama says after a second of hesitation. the whistle blows soon after, signalling the end of your team's timeout, and they return back to the court. ukai returns next to takeda, who asks why he's changing the type of toss.

"it's so hinata has soe leeway when he's in the air," ukai answers. "earlier, it was as if hinata were trying to avoid the blocker in midair..." takeda lets out a confused sound, and ukai explains further.

"the straight kageyama hit in the first set, that's what hinata was trying to imitate as a way of avoiding being blocked. he wasn't able to pull it off at all, though." 

and he still doesn't, as the game continues on. after three attempts, ukai asks for the second timeout, telling hinata to cool off off for a bit. the team crowds into a half circle near you once again.

"s... sorry," he apologizes. "i've... had a lot of misses..."

"what're you talking about!" tanaka exclaims from behind the tangerine. "it's aaaalways thanks to you that i can hit so any free balls! once in a while, i should be the one who looks cooler in the match!" he points a thumb out to himself.

"asahi-san scores ore than you, though!" nishinoya intervenes from behind the second year wing spiker.

"shut up! anyway, it's fine! right?! asahi-san!" he berates the libero, then quickly turns his head the other way, looking at asahi, who nods with a compliant look on his face.

"ah! yes, exactly. that's right." he stops nodding at tanaka and puts his hand on his hips, looking optimistic. "we'll make up for the lost points." hinata reacts at the ace's words, but tsukishima, being the person he is, ruins the mood quickly with his next words.

"they probably won't be able to, unless you're switched out, though." he tells his fellow middle blocker with a smirk on his face. tanaka scolds the blonde with a yell of his name, but daichi clamps a hand on the giant's shoulders, calming everyone.

"don't worry about it. you seem to be onto something, so see it through the end," he tells the human lamp post, and you snicker at the sight of his slightly frustrated face, unable to retort further because of the captain's intervention. tsukishima sends a glare your way while daichi continues one, and you stick out your tongue at him childishly.

"while you're jumping, you're alone, but we're right behind you, watching your back, and it seems that out _ace_ will reclaim those points for you!" he whacks the mentioned male at his back, surprising him. "he's just so reliable, isn't he!"

"daichi! don't put pressure on asahi!" sugawara calls to the captain from beside you. "what'll we do if he ends up getting hurt!" he points a finger to the ace; nishinoya joins in, turning to daichi and points a finger to him as well. 

"yeah! he's got a heart of glass, y'know!" 

"don't say anything else!" tanaka panics as asahi turns away from his teammates, approaching you on the bench looking dejected. you chuckle and you opened your arms wide to give him a hug; he steps in closer, and you hug the side of his hips, telling him that they're just joking.

"don't mind!" you call out to him with a slight teasing tone. the whistle blows out again and you let go of the cuddly third year, letting him return back to the court. 

standing beside you, hinata concentrates fully on the match, and you can't help but notice. _he's really focusing intensely... he reminds me of nishinoya when he's watching from sidelines, waiting to be switched in._

the second set continues with a long rally for each point, both teams unwilling for the ball to drop on their side of the court. nekoma catches up to 18 points with karasuno being three points behind them, and the current rotation has kuroo in front as the vanguard now.

he glances your way, and you both meet eyes for a second before he looks overs to hinata and smiles down at him. he says something to the first year, and you hear hinata yell out all the way to the bench.

"the one who calls others short is the short one!"

"that's not how it works," both you and sugawara tell the short middle blocker. you were surprised to hear his voice right behind you, and you turned your head to look over your shoulder only to see his jersey, so you tilted your head up instead.

sugawara tilts his head down to see at you looking at him with a slightly surprised expression. "you kinda scared me for a second there, koushi-senpai," you told the setter with a slight chuckle. he laughs and ruffles your hair, and you tilt your head back to look at the court again.

you were surprised for the second time when you saw the hinata and kageyama do their usual quick attack instead of the new, more floaty toss. _i guess it makes sense,_ you thought to yourself. _so far, it's only been number seven who got used to their quicks..._

"that might not be a good decision," ukai disrupts your thoughts. both you and takeda (and sugawara right behind you) turn to look at coach. 

"right now, he thinks that the 'oddball quick strike' will be more effective against that third year middle blocker. a 'normal quick strike' would be easier for a skilled middle blocker to stop, after all." 

you feel a chill travel down your spine, and you look over to nekoma's side of the court and see kuroo and kenma looking at the first year duo with intense stares. _uh oh, i know that look from anywhere. they're planning something_.

throughout the rest of the second set, nekoma did a wide variety of attacks, such as the confusing, synchronized attack with three spikers; what ukai called a "personal time difference attack"; and a setter dump from kenma, which surprised you.

it's now their matchpoint, and the team's just one point behind them. 

"we're in a tight spot, but... if we score a point here, it'll be deuce!" takeda looks over to sugawara, and he notices; he looks back at the club advisor, proceeding explain what the term means. 

"i know this one!" takeda excitedly tells the third year. "the match continues until there's a two-point difference!" 

"it does," you spoke out. "volleyball doesn't have a time limit, so the game can continue on and on until there's a two-point difference."

"if they get this point," takeda looks back to the court, glancing over quickly to the scoreboard. "the match will end... but if we get it, the score will be deuce, that is, tied, and we'll have a chance to turn this around...!

"this one point will be the moment of truth."

despite karasuno's various attacks from asahi to hinata, they keep the ball in the air, always saving it from dropping on their court. finally, the set (and, consequently, the match) ends when kenma returns a ball to karasuno, who weren't able to save it from dropping at the back of their court.

nekoma wins with a set count of 2 - 0, and the referee whistles to signify the end of their practice match with karasuno. that is, until hinata yells out for one more game, and nekomata agrees, telling him that this is why it's a practice match after all. 

they decide to take a five minute break to let the players catch their breaths and drink water. you stay seated on the bench, trying to figure out the names of nekoma's players to their usernames from the _"_ neko nyaan _"_ group chat, when suddenly, kenma sits down next to you, holding a water bottle and a bar of candy he got from the vending machine. 

behind the two of you, players fro both teams look over to where you're seated, curious and intrigued as to who the other person is and why you're seated next to each other. 

fortunately, tanaka and nishinoya aren't present to see you two sitting together, probably busy splashing water at each other in the bathroom.

despite being the one who decided to sit next to you, kenma doesn't say anything for what seems to be a long time, but in reality, only a minute has passed. you expected him to start talking to you in a passive aggressive manner, since he's that type in your childhood-friend trio, but instead he keeps quiet and silently offers you the bar of candy, and looking closely, it's _your_ _favorite_.

"kenmaaaa!" you cried out at his silent offer, grabbing his shoulders and not the candy bar. you crossed your arms over and around his neck, burying your face on the juncture in which his neck and shoulder meets. you feel his hands gently wrapping themselves around your waist, and you hug him tighter because of it. 

"i'm sorry..." you mumbled, your words muffled by the fabric of his jersey. he says nothing, letting the two of you stay like that for a few more seconds.

you pull away when you feel kenma release you, probably feeling embarrassed and undoubtedly anxious for hugging a female in the presence of his team that doesn't know you nor your relation to him. 

this absolutely will become a _scandal_ for the second year setter, he just knows it. 

but instead of getting up and leaving (his usual, preferred choice of action when he's embarrassed or anxious), he quietly sits back up properly and continues to eat his candy bar, not even looking at your direction. you continue to sit facing him, trying to read his body language and overall mood.

looking at his eyes, you don't detect any anger, annoyance or irritation, and you take this as a chance for you to explain. you know for a _fact_ that kenma _cannot_ hide those three specific emotions in his eyes no matter who he's talking to.

so you know it's safe explain to him, even if he's looking at the court and not at you. if there's any hidden message behind his silence, you know that it's just his way to tell you that he's willing to listen to whatever you'll say.

"originally, i wanted to surprise you at nationals. _i know_ it's really far fetched and our school hasn't even gone there in such a long time, but that really was the only reason why i didn't tell you guys my school or that i joined the volleyball club. i also didn't really think that we'd have an opportunity to meet like this, but i was really happy when i heard that you were our long time rival and had a practice match with us and i was gonna surprise you just before—"

"[name]," he interrupts you, and just then you realized that you rambled instead of explaining calmly to him. 

"yea?" you hesitated to answer him.

"i'm not mad." 

"you're not?"

"yeah." he takes a swig from his water bottle, letting the conversation between you turn silent. in the background, you hear someone from nekoma yell out at the sight of you and kenma, and you hear a familiar deep voice telling them to shut up. speaking of...

"is... tetsu mad?" you spot their team return to their side of the court, and you see kuroo facing the two of you in your peripherals. 

"a little bit."

"i think that's a bit of an understatement." you said as you glanced over at the mentioned male. "if he weren't angry, he'd be annoying me right now," you mumbled dejectedly, looking at nekoma's raven haired captain.

"he's childish," kenma tells you as if it's a reminder for you. 

"i know, both of you are," you look away from kuroo and look back at kenma, who turns his head at your comment.

"am not childishly," he mumbles like a child being rejected of play time.

"you are."

"am not."

"you are."

"not."

"are." he doesn't retort back at you, finishing his water bottle and letting your conversation go silent once again. it's comfortable, however, being in his presence after such a long time of not seeing each other in real life.

"you know it's a small chance, you know?" he asks softly after a few seconds. "us meeting in the nationals."

"yea..." you look down slightly at the ground, hearing a set of two distinct yells and another familiar voice scolding them to shut up echo throughout the gym. _didn't_ this _just happen with kuroo earlier,_ you asked yourself in your head. you hear them approaching the court, stepping in the baseline and seeing them glance your way from the corner of your eyes. you glance back at them, sending them a reassuring smile, and some of them jump up and turn away from you, acting like they didn't look over in your direction.

"but," kenma grabs your attention with the conjunction, "i have a feeling that the possibility's higher this year," he says while looking at hinata and kageyama bickering as usual; the latter's gripping the former's hair, yelling and insulting the tangerine in his signature _hinata, you dumbass!_ line. 

"yea, i think so too."

their second match ends just like the first: a complete victory fro nekoma with the same set count, 2 - 0. hinata demands for another game, and they hesitate for a bit before reluctantly agreeing. same as last time, they pause again for another five minute break, and you decide to use some of the emergency towels from your kit for the team to use.

"[name]! [name]!" nishinoya jumps repeatedly, their skin glistening from their sweat. you grab the pile from the bag and distribute it to the group, telling each of them that they did well for the match. 

"[name]-chan," tanaka calls to you as he uses the towel to swipe off the sweat on his forehead. "who were you talking to earlier?" his eyebrows slightly furrow, and his face looks like a softer version of his signature intimidating glare.

"yeah, [name]!" the libero speaks up from the ground beside you. "i heard from from shouyou that you hugged a player from the opposite team!" he narrows his eyes at you, and you look away from his stare. 

"[name]-chaaan," you hear sugawara call out from behind you. stiffly, you looked over your shoulder and see sugawara smiling in a sinister like fashion. you start walking away from the group inconspicuously, trying to get away fro them before they—

"get her!" sugawara yells out when he notices. you jump up and start running towards kiyoko, who's busying herself with refilling a few water bottles from the indoor water dispenser. she notices the group of boys behind you, and immediately, she steps in front of them, effectively stopping them as they are.

she's holding out her arms to her side, shielding you away from the team. she looks over her shoulder with a worried look, "are you okay, [name]-chan?"

you spring up from your place and hug the third year from behind, wrapping your arms around her waist and pressing your cheek against her back. "thank you, shimizu-senpai!"

the teams sees you two, seeing imaginary flowers bloom around the frame of their vision. they start tearing up at the sight of their two precious managers hugging, and they fall on their hands and knees in radiance.

meanwhile, nekoma looks over in slightly worry and amusement, except for their ace, who cries out and curses them for having two females in their club. 

"curse youuu, karasunoo! i won't forget thiiiis!"

* * *

"one more game!!" hinata demands as if he's not panting in exhaustion and absolutely drenched in sweat.

nekomata looks over in disbelief and shock, "urgh?! what are you saying! your movements are all messed up, aren't they!! just how much stamina do you have!" he gets picked up like a kitten as ukai grabs him above ground by the back of his collar, scolding him from behind.

"hey, c'mon now! that's not happening! they still have to get to the bullet train!" he lets go of the first year when nekomata tells him and the team something.

"if you want to play against us again, do it in a regular game. let's meet on the national stage, before loads of spectators, in a place swirling with all sorts of emotions, in a large gymnasium that sparkles and gleams, and have the greatest "battle of the garbage dump" anyone's every seen."

the team looks at the older coach, their faces clearly hopeful and motivated by his words. (well, except for tsukishima, that emotionless prick.)

"yes!!" they answer him in unison, and both captains gather up their teams for the coaches to give their tips and guidance.

like a proud mother, you take a lot of pictures while nekomata tells the team his thoughts and encouragements. they all look very happy and fired up from his words, and you can't help but get influenced by their energy and smile widely yourself. 

"all that's left.. is to figure out how to connect it all together, i guess."

"yes!!"

after, everyone helps out taking down the net and restoring the court back for use for other players. from beside you, kiyoko sneezes suddenly. 

"are you cold, shimizu-senpai?" you ask her, slightly worried for her health.

"no, i'm not." she returns back washing the team's water bottles. all of a sudden—

"achoo!" you sneeze yourself. "flu season already ended, so why..." you don't finish the sentence, letting it go as you continue to wash their towels. 

you return back inside, carrying a pile of damp, folded towels and a few of their team's empty water bottles to help out kiyoko. you notice kageyama glaring at kenma, who runs away almost immediately in anxiety. the first year setter jumps up at when he sees and looks dejectedly shortly after, clutching the folded up net to his chest loosely. _poor kageyama, you're doing your best!_ you encourage him silently in your head.

his partner, on the other hand, socializes easily with his rival, jumping up and down and seemingly talking in sound effects to communicate with nekoma's #7. you stop right next to a giant blonde, looking at the two in confusion, while tsukishima looks stupefied.

"how is hinata not tired..."

"what are they even talking about..."

"that's not the sort of conversation you'd get from high schoolers," a familiar voice speaks from behind you. tsukishima turns around, but you stay still, unsure of what you want to do and what you _should_ do.

"still," kuroo continues on, "you'd seem more like a high schooler if you were a bit rowdier."

"i dislike that sort of behavior," tsukishima answers him, glancing back at you and leaving. 

"ahh, youth," kuroo sighs while stepping in beside you. you stay silent, however, and continue to observe the team's interactions with nekoma's. you see asahi approaching a smaller player who's taking care of the metal poles that attach to the net. with the help of his wild appearance, asahi manages to scare and terrify the nekoma player just by standing behind him. _i should probably help him..._

you take one step when kuroo finally speaks out. "first you don't tell us you're part of a _male_ volleyball club for a year, and now you're gonna step away from me?" he criticizes you with a disapproving tone. "i thought we were best friends, [name]. but clearly, it seems not."

unable to say anything, you settle for grabbing the very edge of his jersey, continuing to look at the court since you can't look at his direction. you see kenma approaching the two of you slowly from the corner of your eyes. 

"now you can't even touch me?" he asks in the same tone he used with daichi earlier when they shook hands as captains. "you're breaking my heart, [name]. you really are."

"tetsu..." kuroo hums at you, his tone still incredibly fake and cheery. _i can't believe he's the passive aggressive one and not kenma_ , you cried in your head.

"tetsu..." you tried again, looking at him from under your eyelashes. he finally turns to look at you, childishly putting on a fake smile. 

"yes? may i help you?" you jerk back your hand away from his jacket and turn around to spot for kenma. he's not that faraway from you, and you cry out his name for the second time, rushing to hug the setter. 

"kenmaaaa!" you cry as you hug him tightly, your arms around his waist and you head on his chest, due to your very limited height. "he's really angry at meeee!" you hear footsteps behind you, and you move around so that you're hugging kenma from behind now, hiding yourself from the third year. you poke you head out to the side enough to see him looking at you blankly.

in the background, a few nekoma players hear their setter's name being spoken by a female, and they look at the three of you in intrigue.

"tetsu... sorry.. i was gonna reveal it before the match... but—"

"but i just had to spoil your plans, huh?"

"no!! that's not what i meant!!"

"no, it's fine, i'm the bad guy here—"

"tetsuuu!!" they're surprised when they hear you refer to their captain by his first name, much less a nickname of his given name. the gears in their heads start turning, and they make the connection between the [name] in their secret group chat and the smaller female manager from karasuno. "i'm sorryyy!!"

"kuro, stop it. you're not even mad at her. stop teasing her already," kenma scolds his teammate blankly. you blink rhythmically, still clutching onto kenma while the exposed male whines to him.

"kenma, you party pooper!"

"you... weren't mad..." you test the words slowly, stepping away from the setter and finally looking up to see kuroo looking at you. _he played me!_ _i can't believe he fucking played me! why didn't i notice it sooner!_

"[name]?" he asks with an awkward chuckle, and you immediately turned around, crossing your arms over your chest, and starting walking away. _stupid tetsurou and his stupid bedhead, i hate how softhearted i am with him!! ahh, stupid!! stupid tetsurou!! i hate him!!_

 _"_ [naaamee]? _"_ he continues to call out to you, stepping aside kenma and easily catching up to you with his stupid long legs. "kitten, you're not mad at me, are you?" he awkwardly laughs again, tensing when you continue to ignore him.

everyone in the gym turn their heads when they hear the nekoma captain yell out your name, hanging onto your waist as you struggle to walk away. somehow, you made to take a few steps at a time, dragging your stupid heavy friend while his legs are getting dragged on the floor as well. 

"i'm sorry! i thought it would be funny! even kenma agreed to it!! why aren't you angry at kenma then?! kitteeen!!" you turn to kenma and ask him to help you get kuroo off of you. in the short distance, you both see sugawara and their libero, along with daichi and their #2 together, so kenma calls out for them to help you get their captain off. 

their libero grabs onto his legs while their #2 grabs his hips, but kuroo tightens his grip on your waist, somewhat enough to make you struggle to breathe just slightly. they manage to pull him off, but he smacks both of them before returning back to your waist. 

"no!! i'm not letting go unless she forgives me!!"

* * *

e x t r a ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

* * *

your phone buzzes for an incoming call while in the middle of the second match, and you excuse yourself to the two adults on the bench before getting up and walking a short distance away from the court. you don't check the caller name, slightly sorry for whoever it is for letting it ring for a long time before answering.

"hello?"

"[name]-chan!" you hear a very familiar cheery voice yell out. after exchanging emails, you finally gave him your phone number, feeling bad for the third year and how long he's been asking for it. "i'm surprised you picked up!"

"ah, well i didn't look at the caller ID before answering...."

"you hurt me, [name]-chan!" he cries out to you, and even if this is just a voice call, you can already visualize his face scrunching up in fake pain while he clutches his chest. "i called you to ask if you're picking up our cutie phil from the volleyball classroom!" _ah, right. today's monday._

"sorry, oikawa-san," you apologize to him, ignoring his automatic response of ' _tooru!'_ , _"_ i'm at training camp with the club, and we'll be finishing until tonight."

"aww," he whines from the other end of the call. "i was gonna teach the kids how to receive later!" you can already imagine your cousin struggling to receive a ball with his short arms, but still wanting to try again because he wants to play. _my poor baby's gonna be working hard...!_

"don't tempt me, oikawa-san!" you whine back at him. "i'm sorry, but can you take pictures and send a video when he tries it out? i really wanna be there, but..."

"don't worry, [name]-chan!" he reassures you, and you _already_ see his blinding smile in your head. "i'll definitely send you tons of pictures and videos later! oh, but you owe me for this, [name]-chan!" _i knew it was too good to be true_ , you cried in your head. _for my cutie phil...!_

you hear your name being called by takeda, and you look over your shoulder to see kageyama being pulled back by sugawara and tanaka, yelling at him while hinata apologizes profusely. _did he serve to the back of his head again..._ you remember your call with seijou's captain and apologize shortly for not answering immediately.

"ah, sure! i need to go now, i'm in the middle of a match, but please don't forget! thank you, tooru!" you call him by his name as a thank you, ending the call and jogging over to the court to calm your setter down and assess the situation.

meanwhile, in aobajousai high school...

"why's he frozen?" matsukawa asks while holding a snack, the wrapper folded over so the product is easily exposed. 

"who knows," hanamaki brushes it off, glancing over at their captain sitting with his mouth open and his phone still pressed to his ear. "i'll take his milk bread though." to their surprise, he doesn't move an inch when he openly steals oikawa's favorite food right in front of him. 

"oi," the two third years call out.

"cut it out, shittykawa!" iwaizumi smacks the back of his best friend's head, and it somehow manages to get oikawa up and running again.

"iwa-chaan! she called me tooru!!"

"shut up, loserkawa!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can't believe i don't have chat in this chapter yet it's so goddamn LONG  
> rip fingers


	6. 𝚜 𝚒 𝚡  ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the secret's finally out of the bag! the team prepares for the upcoming interhigh preliminaries, so everyone busies themselves to work harder, but surprise, surprise! it's not only the players getting busy, because you and kiyoko have something to show for the team!
> 
> even though it caused the team to panic and worry for you.

**may 5, monday**

after a much needed smackdown between nekoma's captain and libero (their vice captain just stood to the side and watched), you expressed your gratitude to them for separating your clingy friend from you.

"thank you yaku-san, kai-san," you bowed your head slightly down, your hands tucked to your sides and your hair slightly covering your face. you stand back up and shoot them a small smile, introducing yourself with a slight knowing look. "i'm [lastname] [firstname], childhood friend of kenma."

"oi! me too!" kuroo sputters for a moment before including himself in your claim; he's still kneeling on the ground next to yaku, clutching his stomach by crossing his arms in front of his waist and bending slightly so they're flushed to his skin and pushing his abdomen just slightly, but enough to ease the pain from the libero's kick earlier.

"i'm sorry, can i help you?" you return back his earlier words, your smirk turning sinister at the third year. you tilt your head slightly up so you're looking at him down with your eyes, and even for just this moment, you feel powerful against your freakishly tall childhood friend. 

"i'm sorrryyy!" he whines from the ground; since you're height isn't that far up from his kneeling form, you could see his eyes glistening slightly, the bright lights from inside the gym making them twinkle from your view. his skin also glistens due to his sweat and somehow, the light makes him tanner than he usually is.

you continue to give him a cold, hard stare, unwilling to look away and unwavering from his puppy-eyed look he's giving you.

he gives up clutching his abdomen and looks down to the ground with his arms swaying by his sides. you absolutely hate the fact that you're so soft-hearted and compliant when it comes to your two childhood friends; they're your two longest and closest friends. naturally, you'd know how they feel just by their body language, and you know for a _fact_ that kuroo's actually slightly upset at this moment.

if you knew something about kuroo tetsurou that most people do not, it's the fact that he immediately feels _guilty_ when someone's mad at him: he immediately does what he can to fix the situation.

to _you_ , however, he turns into a tiny kitten who's scared of everything, in dire need of someone to protect them and make them feel safe. you know that he _never_ likes it when the two of you have your disagreements. despite the situation happening every few blue moons, it was never a fun experience to see him so dejected and disheartened.

you guessed this was a part of his initial personality that somehow stuck with him. if you told people that he used to be more shy and more introverted than kenma during childhood, you'd doubt anyone would believe due to his current scheming, always-provoking-others personality. 

you sighed, unable to keep up with your act anymore and turned to kenma; in an instant, he sensed what you wanted to do and took the towels and empty water bottles out of your arms, which allowed you to walk towards kuroo, crouch down beside him, and place your hand on the back of his head to slowly and softly dig your fingertips against his scalp in a circular motion to calm him down slightly. 

"i give up, i forgive you, you giant piece of shit," you reluctantly murmured, your voice loud enough for him to hear you clearly. immediately, he hugs your torso, tightening his grip on you the longer he holds you. "let go of me before i pass out from lack of oxygen," you weakly warned him. he lets go after a few more seconds, savoring your warmth before letting go. 

you both stand up, brushing off the invisible dirt from your clothes. you took your team's things from kenma and clutched them close to your chest.

as if that whole sappy moment didn't exist, kuroo immediately uses your head to place both of his palms on top of it and resting his head atop, having to lean and bend forward slightly due to your height difference. _he recovered pretty quickly... huh._

"sorry you had to see that," he apologizes to his two (three, since kenma's also there, but he's used to it) teammates. "i'll behave next time i see this shortcake."

" _next time_ , i'm revoking your rights for sleepover," you cursed him under your breath, but he hears it and freezes at the thought of it. you take this as your chance to step away from him and finally put away these towels that you've been holding onto the whole time. 

* * *

after thoroughly cleaning the venue and making sure that none of your belongings have been left behind, both teams exit and greet each other outside farewell. 

it seems that both teams have a _lot_ in common, and in a bizarre yet rightful twist as old school rivals, it's almost as if there's an individualistic counterpart from one team to another. _looks like they're not so different after all, nekoma and karasuno. it's somewhat endearing and comforting..._

tanaka and yamamoto, the guy with the blonde mohawk you encountered earlier when you arrived inside with kiyoko, both greet their farewells in a dramatic manner, crying big tears whilst shaking each others' hands tightly. "let's meet again, dear friend!!" 

a few feet away from them, you stand with your two childhood friends. kenma gestures to the two with a pointed finger behind him, "what are they doing?" 

"no clue, just don't look at them," kuroo says whilst checking his phone. he's informing bokuto, a volleyball player he knew from another school that somehow became your close friend as well, of his newfound information. _i guess it's only fair to tell koutaro as well_ , you tell yourself in your head. _at least i won't be bombarded with questions of my high school or my club activities any more._

you hear hinata call out to kenma from behind you, and both of you turn around to see the tangerine approaching the second year setter. you turned back around to give them some privacy, turning to nekoma's captain instead to peer over his arms to look at his phone. 

"i can't see what he's saying," you complained to the third year. you're already standing on the tips of your toes, gripping his forearm to stabilize yourself, only to find out that you can't see due to the sun's glare on his phone from your angle. 

"bokuto's asking for a picture," he tells you. you look up at him, squinting your eyes slightly due to the harsh glares of the midday sun; his head is exactly in the right place to shield you away from the actual star, but the intense rays reflect against the third year's dark hair and, along with his smile, blinds you with how bright it is. 

you get caught staring when he suddenly turns his phone towards your face, the sound of the a familiar _click!_ and his hyena-like chaotic laughter snapping you out of your blank state and immediately has you jumping up to grab the phone before he could send the picture to a certain powerful ace. 

"tetsu!" you growled loudly. the mentioned male merely raises his arm up, placing his phone strategically against the burning ball in the sky and calmly navigates through his phone with his thumb. you can only watch as with a few swipes and taps, he sends your candid picture to bokuto... is what you assumed. he brings back his phone to his chest and flexes his wrist to let you see that he already sent the picture.

to your surprise and horror, however, he sent it to your group chat with bokuto _and_ akaashi. _fuck._

in an split second, you have your phone out and opened the group chat you have with them. you tried deleting the photo he sent but...

**[intellectuals only 👅]** is now online

**[galaxy brain]**

guess who i found on our prac match

with another school

**[intergalactic brain]**

hoo(t)

hoomst

hoomst'ved

**[galaxy brain]**

it's [name]

**[intergalactic brain]**

NO WAAAAAAAAAAY

SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUP

I NEED A PICTURE 

KUROO-SAN PLEAAAAASE

**[big brain]**

bokuto-san, calm down please

**[intergalactic brain]**

AKAASHIIIIIII

THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION

**[galaxy brain]**

[picture]

**[intergalactic brain]**

AKAAASHIII

IT'S [NAMEEEE]!!1!

**[big brain]**

bokuto-san

please don't spam

**[intergalactic brain]**

SHE LOOKS SO CUTE

I WANNA SQUISH HER CHEEKS

AKAAASHI

LET'S HAVE A SLEEPOVER!!

I WANNA SEE [NAME]!!

**[smol]**

WHY WON'T THE FUCKING PICTURE BE DELETERD

**[intergalactic brain]**

laNGUAGE!!1!

**[smol]**

srry

may i know the logical reasoning behind the decision of the photographed image of myself to not be fucking erased in this group chat?

**[intergalactic brain]**

BUT ITS CUTE

YOU LOOK CUTE

YOU'RESO CUTE!!

**[galaxy brain]**

i turned off the feature

you looked up from your phone to see kuroo smirking down at you with an evil, scheming expression on his face, as always. ignoring the buzzing of your phone, which you thought was just another message, you charged at him with another growl of his name. 

you barely noticed him holding his phone to his chest, aligning the camera to be in line with your face as he captures your angry and frustrated expression. immediately, you started poking his waist and abdomen, aiming at the spots where he grows weak. you ignore the tense muscles when you poked at his stomach ( _this motherfucker_ does _have abs, damn it!_ ) and instead, focused on his sides and lower back. 

within seconds, he's on his knees in front of you, laughing and shielding his middle with his arms. you quickly took his phone from his grasp, only to be to greeted with bokuto and akaashi's faces on two separate cameras. you screamed and nearly tossed his phone away, but your reflexes caught it before it dropped to the ground. 

you turned to glare at kuroo, ready to disown him as your childhood friend. with an idea popping up in your mind, you point the back camera at kuroo, who's _still_ clutching his abdomen, and announce loudly for everyone to hear, "i'm now renouncing his title of "best friend", applications for my new, _better_ best friend will be accepted from this day onwards—"

"don't disown me!" kuroo screams from below, one of his hands reaching out to you. you ignore him, stepping back and letting his hand reach out blindly in the air. you turned around and walked away from the third year, continuing your announcement loud and clear for everyone to hear.

"— again, i will be accepting applications for my new, better best fri—" kuroo, catching up to you easily with his long, toned legs, slaps a hand on your mouth and dismisses your announcement with an apology.

"sorry 'bout that, please ignore!" 

in the background, hinata and kenma stare at the two of you, both staring with slight jealousy. 

"does this always happen...?" hinata hesitantly asks the second year after learning that he's a childhood friend of yours.

kenma nods with a tired sigh, "it's always loud when we meet up."

your childish argument gets interrupted when both coaches yell out to their respective teams. you both paused in your actions, turned to look at each other, and with a knowing nod, straightened your spines and calmly walked back to your groups as if nothing chaotic happened for the past five minutes. 

kuroo and daichi both step up to shake hands, their expressions returning to the same fake and cheery vibe from earlier. whats different this time is that you can see the veins in their arms popping out when they grip each others hands. 

"next time, we won't lose!" 

"next time, we _still_ won't lose!" 

"you're scary!" you hear sugawara and yaku exclaim from a few feet away from them, "you're way too scary!" behind them, the exact same thing is happening, but with the coaches. the two parental figures turned around when sensed another childish competition. "over there, too!" "they're being childish!"

_finally_ , both teams separate to their own groups and start walking to the opposite direction from the other with their own individual waves of their hands goodbye. you sent a warm smile to both kenma and kuroo, who both respond with a warm smile of their own and a finger pointing to their raised phones.

one by one, they turn around to start focusing on walking to their destinations, with nekoma moving to the train station, and your team to return to the training camp facilities.

after a few minutes of walking, you hear kageyama speak up about the practice matches. "if today were a regular game, the instant we lost the first match, it would all be over." 

from the front, ukai tells to group to hurry back so they can start reflecting and analyzing the practice matches, indirectly announcing to the team his decision to extend his coaching.

excited and encouraged by his words, the team yells back with determined faces, eager to improve.

"osu!!"

* * *

**may 19, sunday**

two weeks before the interhigh preliminaries, and the team has been practicing non stop in preparation. since their practice match with nekoma high school, they've been focusing more on their receives and block follow-ups, like nishinoya did while he was suspended. 

"' _this is the final ball!'_ think of that at all times, and go after it!" you remembered ukai's words from the practice match earlier. "if you don't, then in match, you'll regret the one ball you chose to ignore during practice!"

the team's practice has just ended; players broke off in separate groups after they did their cool down stretch, and now you and kiyoko were the ones moving, gathering their towels and water bottles to be washed and cleaned.

after briefly washing their dirty towels outside, you returned to the gym to see sugawara, tanaka, nishinoya and daichi in a small circle, everyone sitting down crossed legged except for the captain, who remained standing. they're in awe about something they saw in the magazine, handing it to hinata and kageyama when they approached the circle. 

you placed the towels in a colored plastic bag as a reminder for you to wash, clean and dry them, then placed them in your bag to bring home later. you glanced at the group a few times, curious about what they're talking about, but nonetheless focused on your task so you'll be able to finish it sooner. 

after checking and tallying the items in your sports medical kit, as well as double checking the equipment room to make sure everything's in its place, you were finally done with your chores. you were about to approach the group when you saw kiyoko from the other storage room, motioning for you to come near her with a wave of her hand. 

you both entered the storage room, and she leads you to the back where old equipment and spare volleyball balls are kept. 

"i saw this," she gestures to a black, rolled up piece of large fabric, most likely to be banner. "it's really dirty and dusty, but it could be a great motivator for the boys. should we clean it?" you nod enthusiastically at the third year, eager and excited to show off the banner. 

"what does it say, shimizu-senpai?" you asked her, and she responds by crouching down and pushing the fabric, letting it roll off and revealing a single word: _fly._ "it's nice! however..." you touch the painted characters, feeling it's rough texture and seeing how some of the white paint has chipped away. 

"i'll wash it. can you repaint the writing?" she asks, and you agree to the suggestion with a determined nod. you both briefly discussed your plans for the banner before exiting and closing the storage room.

you look back at the circle and see ukai now joining their conversation. they look and listen to him with a determined look, following his words intently. you walk towards them, and you hear the coach's words about their future opponents. you see him holding a piece of paper, most likely reading from a list of players and a short description of their stats. _that might be a compilation of the research shimizu-senpai and i did a few days ago..._

"even thought he's a setter, he's got the most offensive ability of his entire team. of course, he's excellent as a setter, too. he just might be the prefecture's top offensive player...

"oikawa tooru, the head of aobajousai." your mind visualizes a familiar brown haired captain when you heard his name being spoken. _i can't escape him, huh._

you were reluctant to admit it, but you actually enjoyed talking with the famous player, especially after you bonded over the pictures and videos of your cute cousin that he promised to send you. when he wasn't demanding you his usual three things, he's actually pretty fun to talk to. 

"and, it goes without saying that there's the reigning champion shiratorizawa, and their super ace, ushijima wakatoshi." _huh, that name sounds familiar._

having understood the gist of their conversation topic, you let coach ukai discuss and encourage the team, opting to take a seat at your usual place: the stage. you pat away the invisible dust from the spot you picked, off-center and slightly to the left, and jumped up to use your hands as a leverage to get on the platform and take a seat. 

you see the team discussing for a little bit more until whatever they're talking about gets interrupted by takeda's sudden entrance to the gym, sliding both doors with a loud _wham!_ and shouting if the team's still present.

"sorry i'm late! the meeting ended up dragging on..." he apologizes while catching his breath, his skin slightly glistening due to sweating. "anyways, it's out! the interhigh preliminary matchups!" 

he approaches the group and hands it to daichi, who calls for the team's attention, letting them gather around him as he holds out the paper at a considerate distance from him. from the front of the gym, you don't hear their discussion about the match ups, but from what you can determined from their reactions, it's a mix of surprise, fearful and excited looks on their faces.

despite listing off the top opponents earlier, you hoped that it would only serve as further motivation for them to practice harder and improve. _i believe that something great is happening for this team,_ you thought to yourself while looking at them. you can't hear it, but you see their faces lighten up at daichi's words. _i just know it._

* * *

**may 26, sunday**

one week before the interhigh preliminaries.

along with practicing their receives, they've focused on their their attack patterns as well. for the past week, ukai discussed to the team about the various types of attacks that he's planning to use, monitoring the team when they use it during practice matches to make sure that they're executing it perfectly.

after practice, you and kiyoko did your respective duties quickly, having planned this day to be the day when you take the banner from her for a repaint of the characters for the banner.

you hear sugawara call out to her, telling her that daichi's treating the team to some steamed pork buns, but she excuses herself, telling him that she has something to do. shortly after, the team changes into their standard uniforms and grabs their bags to start walking together to the sakanoshita store. 

you receive a text message from kiyoko, informing you that she's at the park nearby.you gasped loudly, catching the attention of some of your clubmates and turning around to face you.

"sorry, but i have to go home immediately!" you quickly inform the team with an apologetic bow and turning to the direction of your apartment. 

"ah, is everything alright, [name]-chan?" you hear daichi and asahi ask you from behind, and you twist your neck to see them with worried faces— actually, everyone has worried faces (except for tsukishima, _of course_ ) and you slightly feel bad for deceiving them. 

"ah,, yeah! i just received a message from my family telling me they're at the apartment right now, so i have to hurry," you tried to convince them with a smile. "i'll chat the group when i get home!" you told the group while you jogged away from them, ignoring the sound of protests you hear from the group.

once you were out of their view, you began running to the park so that kiyoko won't wait longer. after a few minutes, you finally see her form, sitting on the swings like she said she would be.

"shimizu-senpai!" you called out to her with a raised hand, jogging to her seated figure and stopping in front of her. she hands you a small plastic bag, assuming to be the small can of white fabric paint she bought, and digs into her bag for the newly washed banner, giving it to you shortly after pulling it out.

"thank you, shimizu-senpai! i'll hide it in a paper bag somewhere in the gym after i'm done with it," you informed the third year. she nods to you as a response and stands up. 

"shall we walk together?" she asks with a soft smile on her face. you nodded and return a smile to her, and you both started walking in comfortable silence. 

"are you planning to..." she trails of, her voice growing small at the last word, but she follows up her question with a slightly more determined tone. "are you planning to say something to them?" she asks with a blush on her cheeks. _ah, that's right. shimizu-senpai isn't all that good with encouraging the team verbally..._

you hummed as you consider the thought. "i could... but i think you should be the one to give words of encouragement, senpai." you turn to the third year, smiling at her surprised expression. "something tells me they'll _really_ like it if you do!"

the comfortable silence returns after your suggestion. throughout the rest of the walk to her house, she considers it quietly on her own. you don't say anything after, though, wanting your suggestion to linger in her thoughts, and instead, you enjoy this slightly rare moment of silence for you. 

you both finally reached her house, and before she enters, she turns to you and tells you that she'll do it. with a smile, you wave to her goodbye while you walk away, going back to the direction of your apartment.

after a few minutes of walking, a series of vibrations from the phone in your skirt pocket interrupt you out of your thoughts. pulling it out and pressing the power button, you see the unread notifications from your group chat with the boys growing in number by the second. _it hasn't been that long, though... i'll open it just in case._

**karasuno vbc team** is now online

**[pretty boy setter]**

[name]-chan are u home yet??

**[pretty boy setter]**

[name]-chan?

**[pretty boy setter]**

chat us immediately when u see this 

**[captain dadchi]**

**[name]** , suga's getting pretty nervous

and anxious

chat us when u get this, okay?

**[attack!!]**

[name]!!!

answer, damn it

**[guardian angel]**

i'm fine!!

i'm not home yet

i picked up a few things from a store

**[pretty boy setter]**

i was getting worried

you could have told us

while we were waiting for your text

**[guardian angel]**

i'm sorry...

**[captain dadchi]**

it's fine, just

remember us next time

okay?

**[guardian angel]**

okay

i promise

**[pretty boy setter]**

[yubikiri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinky_swear)?*

**[guardian angel]**

yes koushi-senpai

i pinky promise

**[pretty boy setter]**

okay

* * *

**june 1, saturday**

one day before the interhigh preliminaries. 

ukai just finished saying his words for the team, finishing off with a reminder for them to always rest and take care of themselves. before daichi can finish his dismissal, takeda intervenes.

"ah, hold on! i think there's still two more people who want to say something!" takeda looks over to you and kiyoko. "take it away, shimizu-san! [name]-san!"

the team immediately looks over to their two managers, surprised and flustered that they've prepared (?) something for them. kiyoko looks down, slightly embarrassed to look at them in the eyes. 

"i'm not... all that good with... words of encouragement, so..." she, then, turns to you with a knowing nod. you rush over to the edge of the stage, taking over the banner and hiding it by hugging it close to your body. kiyoko glances to takeda, "sensei, if you would."

"leave it to me!" he takes the banner from your arms and puts it on his shoulder, struggling to balance it as he climbs the stairs to the upper part of the gym. kiyoko climbs after him, and you follow suit, quickly climbing over the steps and helping the other two unroll the fabric and flip it on the wrong side facing the team.

"one, two..." takeda counts down, and together, kiyoko and takeda hold the two upper corners of the banner, and you help them flip it over to show off the banner.

at the sight, the team erupts in awe, staring at the banner with twinkles in their eyes and their mouths wide with amazement. 

"who'd have thought we had such a thing...!" you hear sugawara from below, staring at the banner with slightly flushed cheeks and the same awed look everyone has. 

"i found it while cleaning, so i washed it and [name]-chan fixed it," kiyoko answers the vice captain. you turn to her, ignoring the comments you hear from tanaka and nishinoya from below, and give her an encouraging nod.

the team grows quiet, and you look down to see daichi whispering to the two second years, then looking up with a slightly expectant look. 

"do... do your best." kiyoko manages to say to the team, but they're quiet for some reason. she gets flustered and quickly moves to climb down from the ladder, leaving you alone, standing in the middle of the banner.

slightly pressure to say something, you blurt out the first words that pop into your head in an attempt to encourage the team. 

"i believe in this team." you give them a small smile and, when seeing that they also do not have a reaction to your words, quickly move from their sights, out of embarrassment. _why aren't they saying anything??_

the moment you climbed down, step on the floors of the gym and turn to look at the still figures of team, they immediately burst out crying. the first years, along with the second year trio in the background, all look over to their teammates with shocked and confused faces. 

"shimizuuu!" daichi cries out, hiding his tears by shielding his forearm over his eyes. "no one's ever done something like this for us before!" hinata and kageyama look over to him, shocked to see the typically calm and collected (except when he's angry, of course) captain like this. 

at the sight of the third years crying, you fidget in your place by the ladder, wanting to wipe their tears away but also wanting to just let them be. sugawara and asahi decide for you, however, by charging straight at you with their arms outstretched. 

"[name]!!" "[name]-chaan!" they yell out simultaneously.

when they reach you, they each pick a side of yours to hug tightly, but because they're tall (and you're not), it's almost like you're sandwiched between the two players hugging. you struggle to reach their backs to pat and rub comforting circles with your thumb; they fall onto their knees and press their heads onto your sides, and decided that you'll just pat their heads and massage their scalps until they calm down. 

you look up, curious to see the rest of the team's reaction, and you see tanaka and nishinoya crying silently, still staring at the banner above you. tsukishima and yamaguchi, who are behind the, stare at the two second years with unsettles and disturbed faces. you chuckled slightly at their expressions, _i guess ryuu and yuu are too shocked to say or do anything._

you scan the gym to look at the second year trio; the three are looking at you with smiles on their faces, and you swear that their eyes are glassy and twinkling. all of them give you a nod, and you return it with a determined smile of your own.

they, the third years and the second year chaotic duo, continue crying and yelling out loud (" _what the heck, this is just getting out of hand now!_ " you heard tsukishima comment amidst all the noise), and you even see other players from other clubs peer into the doors to the gym with ~~jealous~~ curious faces. 

daichi finally calms down. he looks at the team with purpose and resolution, "we're definitely going to win that first match!!!"

"YEAAAAAH!" 

* * *

e x t r a ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

* * *

 **neko nyaan** is now online

**[yakkun]**

i can't believe kuroo acts like that around you [lastname]-san 

he's an embarrassment

**[inuocat]**

i thought captain was very free earlier

he acts like a child, though

**[THIS IS LEV!!]**

AAAAAH I WANNA MEET [NAME]-SAN TOOO

**[yakkun]**

she's very cute

i have the courage to finally say this

because we're not gonna see each other for a long time

but you're very cute, [lastname]-san

**[THIS IS LEV!!]**

DO YOU HAVE A PICTURE??

**[yakkun]**

no i don't

**[vicecattain]**

don't lie, yaku

i saw you 

**[yakkun]**

KAI

!!

**[inuocat]**

[lastname]-san is online..

**[name nyaan]**

i didn't say anything

**[THIS IS LEV!!]**

[NAME]-SAAAAN!!

I SHOULD'VE BEEN THE ONE TO MEET YOU

i bet u though yaku-san was rlly small and scary

RIGHT??

**[yakkun]**

lev...

you're not escaping me next time.

**[shibanyama]**

rip lev

F

**[inuocat]**

F

**[manekineko]**

F

**[vicecattain]**

F

**[teshiin]**

F

**[name nyaan]**

F 

also i didn't think of yaku-san as scary

**[THIS IS LEV!!]**

but you thought of him as the other one, right??

**[yakkun]**

...

**[name nyaan]**

i mean... yeah

but it doesn't matter to me??

everyone's taller than me anyways

●︿●

i thought u were cute too, yaku-san

i thought everyone was cute hehe

(⺣◡⺣)♡*

**[yakkun]**

i'll forgive you lev

because [lastname]-san said i'm cute 

**[inuocat]**

now i'm curious what ur first impressions were

**[name nyaan]**

i don't think it was all that different

from my impressions of u all in chat

i thought yaku-san was more of a parental-figure?

like

he keeps everyone in check

he scolds his teammates a lot

and he's very reliable!!

i really like that hehe

(⺣◡⺣)♡* 

**[yakkun]**

i'm in love

**[inuocat]**

can i know for your impression of me?

i wanna know hehe

**[name nyaan]**

i thought u were very determined, inuoka-san

u're very much like hinata!!

very competitive!!

i feel like u're fun to be around with hehe

**[inuocat]**

ooooh

what about the rest of the team?

**[name nyaan]**

hmm

kai-san is quiet, but has an comforting aura

he's very reliable, like yaku-san

really great at defense, too!!

he definitely save a lot of balls from dropping on your court

**[name nyaan]**

yamamoto-san is like our wing spiker

very much alike

so i'm familiar with his personality!!

he always kept a distance tho

●︿●

**[yakkun]**

he's scared of girls lol

**[acetora]**

NO I'M NOT

**[inuocat]**

yes, he is

**[acetora]**

NO I'M NOT

**[yakkun]**

shut up, yamamoto

**[name nyaan]**

well i hope yamamoto-san can chat more

so we can get to know each other hehe

should i continue saying my first impressions?

**[inuocat]**

sure!

**[name nyaan]**

i'm still confused about names

i'm sorry ●︿●

but i'll try my best!!

**[inuocat]**

it's fine, [lastname]-san!!

**[name nyaan]**

i think it was shibayama-san who our ace scared off

and i would like to apologize for that 

i was about to help when ur captain bothered me

but i thought he was very determined!!

**[shibanyama]**

it's okay, [lastname]-san

**[name nyaan]**

i'll save u next time i promise ╥﹏╥ 

okay then!!

i think #6 is fukunaga-san...?

pls tell me if i'm wrong!

i haven't interacted with him much

but i could tell that he's very gentle

and determined!!

he digged a lot of spikes, if i remember correctl

which is really amazing!!

**[manekineko]**

thank you [lastname]-san

**[name nyaan]**

come to think of it

i don't think i saw lev-san and teshiro-san

**[teshiin]**

... i was left behind ******

**[vicecattain]**

ah, they're not starters

so they didn't come with us

**[THIS IS LEV!!]**

now i really wanna meet with [name]-san!!

**[yakkun]**

if u don't improve then u won't meet her

**[THIS IS LEV!!]**

AH

NO

I'LL WORK HARD

**[yakkun]**

good!

:)

**[name nyaan]**

scary

yaku-san is scary

**[THIS IS LEV!!]**

that means i'm right!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *yubikiri [yubikiri genman] translates you "finger-cutoff". i'm sure you can put two and two together... but i meant it as a lighthearted way i promise!! suga won't be cutting anyone's pinkies on my watch （=｀〜´=）
> 
> **teshiro has this as his quote in their profiles and i just found it so sad yet really fitting for this chat lol


	7. 𝚜 𝚎 𝚟 𝚎 𝚗  ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's finally here, the first day of interhigh! it's what you and the team have been preparing, it's what the you all, along with the new members, have been working on together for the past two months! but surprise, surprise! because you're not even inside the venue yet...
> 
> but it seems like there's a misunderstanding with your beloved, chaotic gentle... sugawara koushi?

**june 2, sunday**

today is the start of the interhigh volleyball boys' competition, particularly the miyagi prefecture preliminaries.

as you started to climb the uphill that leads directly to the front gates of the school, you saw a convenience store in the distance and remembered your plans of buying the team snacks and drinks for them to enjoy whilst on the bus to the match venue, sendai city gymnasium. you did the same thing for the team last year, and you remembered how their previously anxious faces was relaxed on the way to their matches, holding and eating the food you bought for them. _if it'll help ease up their nervousness, then you'll willing to spend just a little bit of money for them._

you walked up a few more steps, the all familiar 7/11 sign growing larger as you walked closer, and after a minute, you reached the front of the store; looking into the glass front doors of the store, you saw that there was a line at the counter, but you figured that it'll lessen after a few more minutes. besides, it's still a good half and hour before the scheduled meet up in front of the gym, so you're granted to not be late.

with the thought of the competition, you're reminded to send a text to your other friends, since majority of them are volleyball ~~nerds~~ ~~dorks~~ players as well. you took a seat at one of the benches at the front of the store, pulling out your phone from the tracksuit jacket's pockets and opened your phone to wish them good luck and a safe competition.

**we love head** is now online

**[flowerhead]**

morning!!

today's the start of interhigh!!

i know y'all do great for ur matches 💖

**[puddinghead]**

ugh

**[bedhead]**

tell ur team to not get eliminated on the first match

**[flowerhead]**

exCusE you

they'll win

and win

and win some more

**[bedhead]**

WiN my ass

how many wins did they have last time against our team again?

hmm

what's that

0? out of 6, you say?

**[flowerhead]**

kenma i know you'll do great 💖

don't push urself too hard 💖

u bet that the apple pie i'll bake at our summer sleepover will be urs and urs only 💖

**[puddinghead]**

i hate being in the middle of your childish fights

but okay

tht better be true, [name]

i'm looking forward to it

**[bedhead]**

how DARE U

PETTY!!

ur petty, kitten

**[flowerhead]**

kenma do u hear smth

**[puddinghead]**

no

**[bedhead]**

it do be like that huh

fine

i won't bother u anymore then

**[flowerhead]**

as u should

💖

also don't get hurt!!

or else i'll break ur bones!!

you place back your phone in your pocket, ignoring the buzzes and chimes that follow, and stood up from the bench to walk over to the doors, pushing it slightly to enter, and are immediately greeted with the smell of the nearby coffee and bakery section of the store. the previously quite lengthy line is now down to just a few people, around four or five of them waiting for their turn for the cashier to scan their items. 

by the doors, you picked up a basket, then walked past the counter and headed straight to the large display of various snacks a few feet away from you. you quickly scanned through each of them, picking up a few items if you thought that someone from the team would want them, and turned the corner from the end of the aisle to enter a new one. 

you set down the basket on the floor by your feet and pulled out your phone to see the current conversation. 

**[puddinghead]**

you always tell us that

but aren't you the one who gets hurt

or is most likely to get hurt

out of all of us?

**[puddinghead]**

you should be the one who's careful, [name]

you're not even a player

don't think i didn't notice your bruises on your forearms last practice match

**[flowerhead]**

●︿●

yes, kenma

i promise i won't get hurt

or if i do, i'll let u guys know!!

you waited for a few seconds to wait for a notification; when nothing came, you simply placed the phone back in your pocket and picked up the basket from the floor to return to your task at hand. you continued to scan each item that you see, searching for any specific snacks that the boys might want, but to no avail, you reached the other end of the aisle without picking anything up. 

you turned to the next aisle, and immediately you spotted a familiar, fluffy grey-haired male wearing the same tracksuit jacket as you, his back displaying the school name in white detail. he's all the way to the opposite end of you, turning to his left and entering the aisle next to you. since the shelves have gaps and little holes for ventilation, you can clearly track his figure as he slowly walks from his end of the aisle and towards yours. you pulled out your phone again when you heard a notification going off. 

**[bedhead]**

lolol u got scolded by kenma

**[flowerhead]**

and here i thought u said that

u weren't gonna bother me ever again

**[bedhead]**

false

i never said "ever again"

i said "anymore"

**[flowerhead]**

??

what's the difference??

**[bedhead]**

well

if u don't think of me as a bother

then technically

i won't be bothering you

[yes i know i'm smart](https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/d6a/dc7/4a5001b7beea096457f480c8808572428b-09-roll-safe.2x.h473.w710.jpg)

**[flowerhead]**

i give up

bye

you glanced up to see where the third year setter would be now, and you see that he's nearing where you stand, the end corner of the shelf separating the both of you. you let him go nearer and nearer to the end, seeing him emerge soon after, and you sneakily stepped closer to the older male with your hands moving up to—

"BOO!" you yelled out with a slap on his back. he jumps and immediately turns around, his face started and his mouth wide in nonverbal panic. he doesn't let out a sound when you scared him, but his face alone is clear evidence that you frightened him a bit. for a short second, he blinks while still sporting a scared look, but immediately after, he relaxes and looks at you with a playful scowl.

"[name]-chan!" he pouts, his pretty lips puckering at you. "you scared me! also, don't shout, we're in public!" at his words, you remembered that yes, indeed, you just shouted loudly at a small encased space and most likely startled other people near you.

"i'm sorry for shouting suddenly," you apologize to no one in particular, but sugawara takes this as your apology for him and gives you a warm smile in response, his hand reaching up from his side to ruffle your hair slight, ignoring the protest that comes from your lips due to his actions.

"then, what are you doing here?" he asks after he stops messing your hair up and, because he has _manners_ , smooths the top of your head and combs your hair to try and restore it back to looking the way it was previously. luckily for both of you, you didn't do your hairstyle for the day yet, wanting to ask the others for what they'd prefer and do your hairstyle while on the bus. 

"i'm buying the team some snacks and drinks!" you hold up basket that contains a few boxes of pocky and umaibo, being the ones that you've only picked up so far. he lets out a chuckle and holds up his own basket that he's holding with his other arm, hidden behind him and away from you.

"looks like we had the same thought," he smiles warmly at you. he won't tell you that he planned to do this because he remembers how you bought the team snacks and drinks _everyday_ for each of their matches last year, and he could not forget how happy and thankful he was for your kindness, even with just that simple act. he notices how little the contents of your basket is in comparison to his, so he proposes a suggestion.

"i got a lot of snacks already, but you can place them in. you can grab drinks instead," he tells you as he holds the basket in front of you to deposit the various boxes of pocky and packages of umaibo, in which you do. you lightly skip past him to go where the large display glass refrigerators are, unaware that the third year behind you has his phone out and is taking pictures of you.

scanning the various types of drinks, you searched for the all familiar pocari sweat, canned coffee and bottled tea, the last two being your preferred drinks but acts as safe items, open for anyone who might want them. you grabbed a few bottles of the large pocari sweat and just one each of the coffee and tea. 

you turned to place the drinks carefully on the basket, but was surprised when you saw him holding his phone at an angle that suspiciously looks like he's snapping a photo of you behind your back. he notices that you're now facing him, and he only gives you a sly, dismissive smile before walking closer to you, the basket in front of him. 

"you done picking up drinks?" he asks as you place them one by one in the basket. you opened your mouth to affirm his question when you remembered that a certain first year has a preferrance to drink milk. _or was it yoghurt? maybe both?_ you turned around to scan the drinks in the glass door refrigerators once again, switching gazes from one drink to the other, debating internally with yourself on what you'll get for kageyama before deciding to just grab a few of them, each of various flavors, just to be sure. 

sugawara looks at you confused when you place down a wide variety of differently flavored milk drinks and yoghurt drinks in the basket, but you send him a dismissive smile, returning the same look he gave you when you caught him taking pictures of you just earlier, and told him that you're done with picking out drinks for the team. 

together, you walked around the rest of the store, checking to see if you've missed anything that the team might like. passing by the coffee and pastry section, you grabbed a few pieces of melon bread for tanaka, meat buns for hinata and some baked pastries for yourself, because _lord knows i need the energy from a good ol' sugar rush for later._

"we have a lot of food," sugawara laughs at how full the basket is, and you giggle as well at the sight of it forming a slight mountain as you finished placing the pastries in the middle. "well... i guess we can just store some of the snacks in the club room for tomorrow!" he says with an optimistic tone, indirectly telling you that they're certain to win the matches for first day. 

you smiled warmly and nodded at the third year before proceeding to the counter to pay for the large amount of snacks and drinks in your basket. "let's split up the bill for this, senpai," you suggested to the grey-haired pretty setter. "i'll pay for the drinks!" he looks at you, then looks at the basket, then returns to you with a shy smile, seemingly agreeing with your proposal.

while in line, you opened your belt bag, strapped across your chest for easy access to your essentials and medicine, to look through for your wallet, locating it after a few seconds and pulling it out to hold it in your hand in preparation for the payment. you felt the buzz and the faint chime of a notification from the phone in your pocket. you looked up to see sugawara looking through his phone as well, and you deemed it fine to use your phone while waiting together with the third year. 

**[bedhead]**

I'M JUST JOKING KITTEN

pls i won't bother u anymore

truly

:'((

**[bedhead]**

kitten...

  
**[bedhead]**

hello??

[name]

i'm this close to calling you

**[flowerhead]**

i just went inside a conbini

chile

clingy much

**[flowerhead]**

soz for not responding quickly

i was buying food and drinks for the team

●︿●

**[bedhead]**

you buy then snacsk and drinks

*them *snacks

??

what about ME

WHAT ABOUT US HUH, [NAME]?

WHEN HAVE YOU EVER DONE THAT FOR US

**[flowerhead]**

i'm this close to baking another separate apple pie for kenma

**[puddinghead]**

kuro i can't believe i'm saying this

but thank you.

while chatting, you instinctively stepped up once a person in your line exits after their payment, and not long after, sguawara heaves the hefty basket, the items up top falling down slightly due to the force of the basket slamming to the counter. _i hope this won't take long,_ you sighed in your head. 

"please separate the bill for all of the drinks," you informed the cashier, who gives you a nod before starting to scan the snacks one by one. _there's a lot of snacks too... should i pay for the ones i placed in earlier?_ you turned your head to suggest it to sugawara when you felt another buzz and, this time, a loud chime of your phone; you double tapped the screen alive, the screen displaying a new chat opening.

**[karasuno vbc team]** is now online

**[shortie #2]**

i'll be arriving soon!!

**[NOT BALD]**

me too!!

hinata i have a surprise for you!

**[shortie #2]**

UOOOOH

tanaka-senpai!!

**[NOT BALD]**

don't thank me just yet!! 

**[guardian angel]**

morning~

i'm at the 7/11 with koushi-senpai!

we'll be there soon!!

**[NOT BALD]**

suga-san?? s already with you??

how sly 

**[nishnihoyaaa]**

hogging OUR [name] this early in the morning 

😡

**[pretty boy setter]**

sorry~

you glanced up to see the progress and see the cashier still scanning some items. you looked back down to your phone before you realized a split second later that _hey, isn't that kageyama's milk that he's scanning right now?_

while you were busy checking the club group chat, sugawara observed the cashier's not-so-secret glances at your form, and if he was in his place, he'd honestly do the same: you were smiling widely and giggling lightly at hinata and tanaka's chats, your thumbs moving fast to tap each letter that forms your sentences and your fingers delicately encasing your phone in your hand.

he leaned in to the cashier and whispered, "i'll be paying for all of this, please scan everything." he gave the cashier a pointed look with a glint in his eyes and a sly smirk on his lips. he hopes that the message held enough context that the cashier takes it as some sort of double entendre, even though in reality, sugawara just wants to imply to the cashier as if he's your _close_ friend, or better yet, boyfriend. 

"koushi-senpai!" you immediately scolded the male beside you with a soft hit on his arm. he chuckles at your display of anger, unable to stop his smile because of how you're pouting at him slightly (and he _knows_ that it's unconscious for you, but _god_ does it looks cute on you) and takes the hand you've just hit him with in his hands, holding it down by pinning it to his side and pressing his arm on top of it, similar to how oikawa did to drag you out of the bench for his warm ups.

"senpai— let my hand go!" you protested against the third year in vain, as he only laughs at your reaction to him.

"you wanna settle this the old way, then?" he asks with a knowing tone of his voice, his lips widening with mirth and suggest. you craned your neck up to look at him looking down at you, and you can't help but smile and return the playful energy he's letting out.

"you wanna go?" you asked the third year with a lighthearted provocative tone. "let's do this, pretty boy~" 

_is this.... going to be a fight?_ the people around you, including the cashier, asks themselves whilst witnessing the two of you stare each other down for a few seconds before simultaneously turning your heads to the cashier.

"please officiate our match!"

"ah, no, i don't want to be fired—" the cashier stammers, but you both ignore him as you face each other and slowly raise your hands up to—

"rock, paper, scissor!" you both yell out, swinging your hands down at each word before throwing their pick: sugawara presents a fist, signifying rock, and you throw down a flat hand, meaning—

"I WON!" you yell out, holding up your flat hand to the cashier to confirm your victory (even though, in reality, he's baffled at the current events he's seeing). you opened your wallet and placed down a few 500 yen coins.

"i'm... not done yet scanning," the cashier blankly informs you, still extremely confused at what he just witnessed. 

"it's fine!" you smiled widely at him, and he perks up at the sight, snapping out of his daze and starts to scan the rest of the items in the basket with a light blush on his cheeks. sugawara notices, but doesn't say anything and, to your surprise, remains still as the cashier finishes up, sliding the coins from the counter and into his hands, and opens the cash register for your change.

"i can never win against you, [name]-chan," he sighs next to you. you turn your head to look at him sporting a sheepish smile and ocean-like eyes. the cashier calls for you attention, handing you your change with avoidant eyes. you smile, even though you're confused as to why he won't look at you directly, and thank him as you grabbed one of the bags, surprised and thankful to see that they're separated into snacks and drinks. 

"then," you start, turning your head back to the third year beside you, "if you want to be a gentleman so much, carry the drinks for me! i'll carry the snacks—"

"then i'll just carry both—"

"fine, i'll carry the drinks only..." you giggled at the defeated expression he has after you sent a glare to him at his suggestion. while walking to the exit, you tell him to stop pouting because he hasn't been defeated yet.

"that's right," he smiles at you, "we're just starting."

as you both exit the store, you quickly noticed that asahi is just a few feet across from you, and from the corner of your left eye you see daichi stopping shortly after seeing everyone in the same place. "ah. osu."

without another word, everyone steps forward to stand beside one another. daichi, upon seeing that you bought something for the team once again with your own money, takes the bag from your grasp and hold it in the hand distal from you, knowing that you'll fight with him if he holds it using the hand near you. silence fills the air, setting the tone of the group, and asahi uses this as his chance to say something.

"so, it's finally here, out la—"

"stop talking," both the captain and vice captain blankly demands the ace, who turns his head immediately at the two. in between daichi and sugawara, you look at asahi with amusement and a look that says ' _ah, knew you'd say something like that.'_

"whaa?!"

"you're definitely planning to say something sentimental," daichi accuses asahi with a pointed look. beside him, sugawara smirks at the ace instead, his expression similar to your own. 

"like ' _it's finally here, our last interhigh tournament....'_ or something." asahi responds to the vice captain with an _urk!_ from his lips, unable to combat the vice captain's words nor can he deny it. "that sort of conversation is like a death flag, so it's prohibited!" he tells the ace, forming an x shape with both of his hands to amplify his words. 

"why?! what's wrong with it?!" he asks with a surprised and incredulous look. "i'd even thought that yesterday, on the day before our last interhigh competition, we third years would boost our morale with a quiet chat while stargazing, but we only ended up going home instead!" asahi

"asahi-senpai, you're quite the hopeless romantic!" you giggled at his wholesome, innocent and somewhat naive thinking. he looks away from you, embarrassed and shy at your words, turning red-faced soon after. you quickly follow up as to clear up the understanding, "ah, it's not a bad trait! i think that's very cute!"

"shimizu and [name]-chan's surprise already boosted our moral to one hundred and twenty percent." the captain reminds asahi of your collaboration with the older manager beauty. 

"well... yeah, i guess that's true." 

"we're going to win our first and second matches today, and continue on to the second day of the competition, so there's no need to have a serious heart-to-heart talk right now." daichi announces loudly, his face shining with determination and his eyes glowing in the morning sunlight. 

"that being said," sugawara chimes in, peaking slightly behind daichi. "there aren't going to be any heart-to-hearts tomorrow, either. because we'll win then, too." 

"we're gonna win every match that comes our way! that's the only thing on our minds now!

"we're be counting on you, ace!" daichi softly hits asahi in the chest. you feel the warmth that comes from the captain, encompassing the whole group with his overflowing determination. 

"right...!" asahi answers back, surprised at daichi for being soft and nice. you and daichi both walk forward, but you hear the ace's whispers to a certain grey-haired male. " _it's kinda scary to see daichi being nice. it's almost like hell's frozen over_!"

daichi turns around, "then maybe i should be strict after all." he turns back quickly, leaving the other two with frozen expressions, and steps in beside you with a slight pout on his lips. _this might be the first time i've seen him like this_ , you mused.

"daichi-senpai, don't mind!" you hugged the captain at his side gently and lightly, aware that he isn't one to do skinship often.

"thanks, [name]," he squeezes your arm that's in front of his waist and leaves it there, holding it tightly but comfortably. you both exchange a warm smile for one another; from behind you, you hear the other two perk up and complain.

"hugs! they're hugging!" "where's our good luck hugs, [name]-chan?"

the four of you arrive at the gates shortly after. you hear a familiar rowdy, but good-natured duo call out from the distance, revealing to be none other than nishinoya and tanaka. you waved at them but stayed still in your tracks, telling asahi and daichi that you're headed to the clubroom to leave some of the snacks that you've bought together with sugawara. 

the duo catches up quickly by jogging to where you are, and when they're at a close range, they jump up to lunge at you. 

"[naameee]!!" "[name]-chaaaan!" they both scream with excitement. before you could react, they both sandwhich you in between them, each pair of arms sneaking around your waist and hugging you tightly. tanaka rests his head on top of yours while nishinoya buries his face against the curve between your neck and shoulder.

"good luck hugs~" you tried your best to place your hands on their backs to pat and rub comfortingly whilst ignoring the protests from the other two players (who were with you before these two did, but _still_ haven't gotten their hugs, _especially_ _sugawara_ ).

"[naamee]...." "[naamee]-chaaan..."

"oi, don't hurt our medic!" daichi scolds your fellow second years with a soft karate chop on their heads. they separate from you with a _sorry, captain!_ and notice the bag he's holding, consequently noticing the other half on sugawara's. you informed them of your current task, and together, you all head for your destination. 

on the way, however, you hear a familiar voice in the distance growing louder, their words getting intelligible as your group approached the stairs to the clubrooms.

"you mean you'll stand on the same stage as me in the future?" there's a slight pause, but kageyama continues on. "whether it's at the top of japan, or the top of the _world_...?"

"of... of course!!" hinata squeaks, and you're now close enough that you see the other first year with his head up, looking down at the tangerine with a determined look of his own. 

"and quit calling me "king", dammit." the four of you (since the second year duo lagged a bit behind you) see the first year setter reach his hand out to hinata's hair and pulls on it slightly, and hinata responds by reaching his forearms and trying to push it down while saying _gyaa!_ _i get it, i get it already!._

"ooh~" sugawara coos at the (in)famous first year do. " _the world_ , huh. you really think big~" the duo freezes and looks over to your group before letting go of each other.

"before all of that, though, we have to win the first match in the first prefectural preliminaries of the six tohoku prefectures of japan, y'know?" daichi reminds them with a wave of his hand as a greeting. 

"mooooorniiing!" they greet the captain. behind you, you hear nishinoya and tanaka greet the two with their usual cheery and energetic greeting. 

"i'm looking forward to seeing the oddball combo in action again!!" daichi smiles at them while sugawara, beside him, chuckles lightly at the captain's words. 

after heading up to the clubroom and storing away some of the snacks for tomorrow, you headed back down by the stairs to wait for the rest of the club to arrive. everyone else has their own conversation, so you take this as a chance to greet your other volleyball ~~nerds~~ friends for their competition. 

**neko nyaan** is now online

**[name nyaan]**

hi!!

goodmorning!!

good luck and stay safe for ur matches!!

i know u'll all do amazing

(⺣◡⺣)♡*

**[yakkun]**

thank you [lastname]-san!!

waah you're really an angel

**[name nyaan]**

omg yaku-san

(／。＼)

**[yakkun]**

so cute omg

**[inuocat]**

thank u [lastname]-senpai! 

i'm so excited!!

۹(ÒہÓ)۶

**[name nyaan]**

ah

u can all call me [name]!!

calling me by my family name sounds like we're not close hehe

**[vicecattain]**

thanks, [name]-san.

good luck to your team, too.

**[THIS IS LEV!!]**

[NAME]-SAN I'LL DOM Y BEST FOR YOU!!

**[shibanyama]**

lev's doing that thing again lolol

[name]-san, thank you!

we'll do our best so we can have another math with u!!

*match

**[manekineko]**

thank you

good luck

**[acetora]**

do your best too, [name]-san

i mean your team

bc they're playing

but you too

do your best too

**[inuocat]**

taketora-san's still nervous lolol

**[shibanyama]**

lolol

you can do it, taketora-san!!

also, good luck to karasuno as well, [name]-san

**[teshiin]**

good luck too

you noticed a person looming behind you as you chatted with the nekoma team. turning your head slightly, you see hinata looking over your shoulder with a curious and amazed glint in his eyes. he sees that you're aware that he's reading your chat over your shoulder, he apologizes with a sheepish smile and a _sorry, [name]-san!_ on his lips, but you dismiss it by placing your phone between you for him to read or potentially add a message for them. 

"uooh! it's really the nekoma team!!"

"it's a secret chat though, so don't tell kenma about it, okay?" at your mention of the blonde haired setter, he goes on to tell you on his conversations with the setter and how he's determined to play with nekoma one more time, on an official match, and make him say that volleyball is fun. 

you shared a few of your many stories that you have with kenma to hinata, and he clings to your every word with reactions of his own.

"no waaay!" hinata gasps, unbelieving that kenma would do such a thing.

"it's true! i think it was the first time i've seen him so happy and smiling widely," you sighed as you remembered the memory you have of kenma doing so; he'd just defeated the last boss of a video game he'd been trying to finish for more than just a few weeks, and when he defeated it, he excitedly told you the news, and you told him that you'd celebrate with the boy (kuroo just gave him a thumbs up and a head pat, _that jerk_ ) by baking him an apple pie, solely for him and him only, complete for a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. 

you remembered how kenma even helped you make the apple pie, asking you for what ingredients it has or what steps you did to form the base and the filling; you remembered how curious and how inquisitive kenma was and how willing he was to help you and learn, which surprised you because, even thought you're childhood friends, kenma only frequently shows interest or emotions, even to you. usually, he'd prefer to show his concern or interest in an indirect manner, in the guise of something else that won't make you think that _oh, he's curious about this_ or _oh, he's worried about me._

you're glad that hinata, despite kenma's somewhat apathetic personality, doesn't deter from his usual cheery self, and instead, pushes the older male to try and become more open and emotional. 

after a few more minutes, you see the club advisor approach the group, who all came in one by one while you were talking to hinata, and call out for the team to follow him to where the bus is. "okaaay! do you guys have everything?! we're leaving!" 

daichi calls for the team to line up on the length of the bus, and together, you bowed and thanked the driver for taking the team to the venue. "thank you for taking us!" "thanks!"

while waiting for the rest of the team in front to board, you hear tanaka call out to hinata, who answers with a sharp _yes!._

"i'm fully prepared today!" he says as he hold up a large bag labeled _vomit bag_. you gasped lightly and opened your gym bag to pull out the bag you picked up for the first year as well. 

"oh, ryuu-kun!" the two volleyball players turn their head to look at you holding up another vomit bag. "that's supposed to be my job as a medic!" tanaka laughs and places his hands on his hips. 

"wow, hinata! you got two whole bags worth all for yourself! go and puke to your heart's content!" you smile at their interaction, stuffing the vomit bag back in your gym bag and noticed a certain first year in front of you. 

"kageyama-kun!" the mentioned male turns around, his face blank as usual but with a tilt of his head, he looks like a curious child. "i got some milk and yogurt for you, but i'm not sure which flavor you like better, so i just bought all flavors that i found!" his eyes start sparkling and his face lights up with lightly dusted blush on his cheeks. he's not aware of it, but there's an adorable smile on his lips and you can't help but internally gush over how cute he looks.

"thank you so much, [name]-san!" you smile widely at his reaction. hesitantly but intently, you question the first year on something you've been meaning ask.

"is... it okay if i call you by your first name? 'kageyama-kun' is kind of a mouthful..." he turns silent, and you take his silence as something negative, so you quickly told him that it was fine with you if he's still uncomfortable with the idea. in reality, he's trying to cope with the fact that, for the first time in his life, he has someone other than his family to call him by his first name with a warm smile on their face. 

although he's slightly scared that for once, someone in his life wants to be close with him, he can't help but be excited that he finally has someone that thinks of him as a _friend_. 

you pause in your rushed explanation of how you respect if he's unwilling to have you call him by his name when you saw the corners of his lips turn up and his eyes gloss and glisten in the soft rays of the morning sun. _kageyama's... smiling._

"it's okay, [name]-san. i don't mind." there's a light blush on his cheeks, noticeable against his pale skin, but you don't tease him about it nor do you even comment on it.

in the back of your mind, you're reminded of the various descriptions you've heard people say about the male in front of you: " _king of the court_ ", " _oppressive dictator_ ", and " _betrayed by his teammates_ " were some of the accounts that you've heard people say over and over again; but seeing how happy he looks that _you're_ asking him to let you call him by his name, when, for most people your age, it has become somewhat of a customary act, even though it's still quite intimate and personal.

in the back of your mind, you ask yourself if this is the first time he's experienced something like this, of someone indirectly asking for his permission to become close with him, and your heart hurts at the thought of it to likely to be true. it's a simple act yet it speaks so much, and you can't help but feel conscious and responsible.

however, you're determined to do your best to be a friend for kageyama.

you lock eyes with his and give him a wide smile, telling him how happy you are and that he's free to call you by your name, too. he smiles wider, and you feel his warmth embrace you. 

* * *

the bus moves after everyone boards the vehicles and deems that nothing has been left out for the competition. since your preferred seat at the very back of the bus, where you can look at everyone and monitor them at the same time, being used as storage space for the players' bags and other things; thus, you took the seat on the row in front of it, placing your bag on the floorspace below you. 

sugawara hands out the bag filled with the snacks and drinks you got for the team; the first years, except kageyama and tsukishima, rejoice loudly and pick out their snacks (" _does anyone want the melon bre—_ " " _THAT'S MINE!!_ " " _okay, calm down tanaka!_ ") and pass the bag back to you at the back of the bus. you place it on the floor beside your bag and pulled out your phone to send another chat for your friends. 

**[intellectuals only 👅]** is now online

**[intergalactic brain]**

IT'S STAAARTIIIING

INTERHIIIIIIIHG

AAAAAAAHHHHH

I'M SO EXCITED!!

**[smol]**

morniiiing~!!

good luck!! stay safe!! 

i know you'll do your best

(⺣◡⺣)♡*

**[big brain]**

*interhigh

thank you, [lastname]-san

**[intergalactic brain]**

[NAME]-CHAAAAN

I'LL DO MY BEST!!!

WE'LL WIN THE INTERHIGH FOR SUURE!!

**[big brain]**

save the energy for later, bokuto-san

**[smol]**

akaashi-kun, i already told you to call me [name]

●︿●

**[big brain]**

i apologize

i keep forgetting, [name]-san

**[smol]**

it's okay, akaashi-kun!

(⺣◡⺣)♡*

**[big brain]**

then, you call me keiji

**[intergalactic brain]**

[NAME]-CHAAAN

SEND ME HEARTS TOO

IT'S UNFAIR THAT AKAASHI GETS THEM BUT I DON'T

**[smol]**

ah sorry!!

here u go, kou-chan!!

(•ө•)♡

(●´□`)♡

♡´･ᴗ･`♡

**[intergalactic brain]**

SO

CUUUTE

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!1!1!!!1!!

**[galaxy brain]**

we stop talking at our other gc for a second

and u're already cheating on me???

i see how it is

**[smol]**

akaashi-kun!

if i call you keiji

what honorific are you comfortable with?

**[big brain]**

it's up to you, [name]-san

**[galaxy brain]**

stop ignoring me

**[smol]**

okay!

**[big brain]**

i'm fine without honorific, as well

**[smol]**

:o

thank you, keiji!

（♥￫ｏ￩♥）

**[galaxy brain]**

smh u still continue right in front of me

**[intergalactic brain]**

[name]-chan!!

update us after every match!!

we'll be waiting to see how ur team goes!!

**[smol]**

okaaaay~

i'll be right back!!

i'm still omw to school

**[galaxy brain]**

NOTICE ME

**[intergalactic brain]**

YAAAAAAY!!

STAY SAFE!!

**[galaxy brain]**

stay safe, [name]-san

**[smol]**

thank you!! 

i'll text back soon 

(⺣◡⺣)♡*

you placed your phone back in the pocket of our tracksuit jacket, ignoring the buzzes and chimes of a new text (most likely from kuroo) and started to part your hair down the middle, separating some pieces in the front to frame your face, then tying one side down at the base of your neck while you gather and comb the other side into a high ponytail.

" _isn't that... a bit... childish?_ " you questioned the group of males in front of you as you all waited to board the bus. when you asked them what kind of hairstyle should you do in spirit of the competition, to which they responded with:

" _we want_ twinpigtails!" they all responded together, completely in sync, _almost as if they talked about this beforehand.... those sneaky bastards._ but before you could protest, they started demanding what _kind_ of twin pigtails they wanted. 

" _high!_

_"with ribbons!"_

" _hatsune miku style!_ " you turned to tanaka and nishinoya, who are at the front of the line, and yelled out to them that _i don't have that much hair!!._

you sighed at the memory and finished up your twin pigtails. while you certainly did _not_ have the same hair volume or length as hatsune miku's (you can't even comprehend how impossibly _heavy_ that would be to sit on top of your head) nor did you prepare any ribbons as hair accessories, you did your best to tie them slightly high. 

in the end, you tied them high but not too high, settling for a medium-high placement. you checked your [hairstyle](https://data.whicdn.com/images/30542507/original.jpg) while looking in a small mirror, doing your best to inspect if you've left out any strands of hair or if the best isn't as smooth as you'd like. 

" _it'll be fine!!_ " they said.

" _you'll look great!!_ " they said. 

* * *

you're not fine, you're totally _not fine._

when you were the last one to walk out of the bus, everyone looked at you with wide smiles on their faces and _aww, [name]-chan! you look great!_ even when the group started walking, they placed you in the middle while stroking your hair, amazed at how youthful and childish ( _in a good way!_ , they said) you looked. 

you're not fine, you're absolutely _embarrassed._

the blush on your cheeks turned deeper and more red as you walked step by step with the team, and you especially felt more embarrassed when you noticed that other players started noticing the group you're with, meaning that at some point, they'll see you in this stupid childish hairstyle. _it's for the team,_ you reminded yourself. _it's for the team..._

with the group, you approached the entrance of the venue for blocks a and b, with the former being the block that the team placed in. 

eventually, as you continued to walk, the hushed whispers that you heard from a distance became an intelligble gossip whose voices weren't afraid to be heard. 

"karasuno? who're they??"

"they're a school that used to be strong, right?

" _used to be_ , yeah. now they've kinda got this lame ass nickname, y'know?" the team continues to walk towards the owners of the voices, _clearly_ hearing how blatant the two players in front of the display of the line ups for blocks a and b talk about the team as if it wasn't possible.

"i'm pretty sure it was...

" _the fallen champions, the flightless crows_."

unfortunately for them, the team stops just before the source of the noise, surrounding them with their own version of intimidation. you stepped back from the group, dropping a sweat at how they're action (but you didn't stop them because you support them 100%). one of them notices and tries to notify the other.

"oi, wait a... oh crap." he switches to a whisper halfway through, but _still_ you can hear his hushed whispers all the way from where you're standing.

"there they are...! it's karasuno...!" another team whispers, this time behind you: you notice their tracksuits as tokonami's uniforms. _so they're our first opponent, huh?_

"flightless?" tanaka looms over the player who informed his teammate about the infamous nicknames of karasuno. "what was that you were saying? hmm?" the player turning his head just slightly, lets out a surprised gasp as he comes face to face with tanaka's iconic intimidating glare.

"hey, let's go!" daichi clamps a hand down tanaka's shoulder. tanaka jumps at his captains voice, but attempts to continue his glare at the player. "sorry about that." the player awkwardly apologizes. daichi tugs on the back of tanaka's collar dragging him to regroup with the rest of the team, scolding him as he does so. "don't pick fights as soon as we arrive!"

despite that, however, that doesn't stop people from gossiping, especially now that the team made themselves known. you joined the group while walking, placing yourself slightly in the middle as to hide yourself, but even so, you can hear their hushed gossiping. _uh oh_ , you thought to yourself worriedly. _is this happening again?_

"they're kinda dark..." 

"isn't there a guy mixed in who doesn't look like a high schooler at all?" 

"th...that's...?! no way...?!

"karasuno's... ' _azumane'_!" _uh oh. it happened._ you hear his teammate, presumably, let out a confused noise and asked who he was.

"apparently, he had his underlings beat up a guy from kitakou... sold some dangerous stuff on the street... and they say he repeated a year twice...." with each false story, asahi winces and folds up on himself. you move to walk beside him, ready to consolidate the poor healthy,seventeen year old third year ace (with a glass heart). 

"there, there. that's what always happens~" sugawara muses with a light expression, in contrast to asahi's sad and slightly frustrated frown.

"it's all because you've got that sort of look to you," daichi lightly chide the ace on his appearance. 

"but i... wanted to give off that 'wild' feeling, even if only in appearance..."

"geez, anyone who says something like that isn't wild at all," the rest of the third years, minus kiyoko, apprise the ace. behind the captain, nishinoya chimes in with his own philosophical beliefs as an attempt to comfort asahi.

"as long as you think you're cool, who cares how others see you!" daichi pulls the second year in between him and sugawara, and each of them clamp a hand down each of the libero's shoulders, both sporting a proud look on their faces, whereas nishinoya, who's in the middle, looks happy yet confused at the same time.

"this is what you'd call 'wild'."

"asahi-senpai, don't mind~" you told the ace, reaching to hug him at his side for a quick moment before releasing him. other players turn to look at you, surprised that they hear a female voice amongst the huge group of males that crowd their vision. "yuu-kun's right though. why should you care about what others think of you? we know what you're really like, and that's what matters, right?" you gave the ace one last smile before skipping to the front, ignoring and getting past the embarrassment of your childish ~~but cute~~ hairstyle, and standing next to kiyoko. you fall into a conversation after she finishes her talk with takeda, recalling about the details of the upcoming match.

"cuuute~" behind you, the team hears someone comment out loud. they're far away that you don't notice, especially now that you're busy talking with the older manager (and, let's be honest, you're _enchanted_ by her beauty, _no shame_ ). with a sharp turn of their heads, they quickly looked at the owner of the voice with confused and alarmed faces. "it'd be great if we have a manager like her~"

"hey, look over there. there's another cutie!"

"why don'tcha call out to her?"

"how 'bout _both_ of them?" at the sound of this, tanaka and nishinoya form a guarding circle around the two of you, hissing and growling at other outsiders who dare look at your way. kiyoko, very much used to their overprotective antics, takes out two notebooks and slams each of their heads lightly. 

"stop that." kiyoko grabs your hands and pulls you away from the duo who stood still, telling you to ignore them while you giggled, highly amused by them.

in the background, other players noticed nishinoya, recalling that he received an award as the best libero in the intermiddle competition; they noticed kageyama as well, calling him ' _the genius setter rumored to be kitagawa daichi's "king of the court"_ '. at the nickname, kageyama looks over to the owner of the voice, unconsciously giving the male a vicious glare and scaring him. you fall back slightly from kiyoko, who noticed the exchange and gave you a nod and a small smile, and lightly touched him on his arm, earning his attention.

"tobio, don't mind!" you tried to comfort the male. he lowers his glare, but still looks like he's in a bad mood, and you slightly feel bad that you don't know much on how to consolidate and comfort most of the first years, but you're still trying your best to grow closer to them. 

you ignored the other players continuing their gossip on the infamous first year and instead, talked to him in an attempt to ease his attention off of it. the corners of his lips lift up ever so slightly, but you know that just with _that_ , he's thankful.

* * *

"uoooh!" hinata grows silent for a second, completely amazed and in awe of the venue. "there are tons of people here...!! the gymnasium's huge...! aaand it smells like air salon pas...!"

"what the heck are you saying," kageyama gives him a disbelieving looks, not understanding what the tangerine is talking about. 

"this smell really gives it that "tournament" feeling," he informs the taller first year as he sniffs the air. at his right, nishinoya chimes in, agreeing with the small first year middle blocker. behind them, however, they hear other players gasp in amazement and surprise.

"uwaah, the guys from _that_ school just got here, too."

"geh, they're huge!"

hinata turns to look for the team that he hears is being talked about, and he immediately tenses. the other members turned around as well, noticing how the usually loud first year is silent with a surprised, astonished look on his face. 

_datekougyuo_ , the kanjis on their tracksuit spell out. _he has no eyebrows!_

suddenly, the male with white hair and is lacking a certain facial feature points at asahi, not saying anything but, still, you can feel his intense focus on the karasuno ace. 

"what the hell, you bas-" asahi suddenly hold out his right arm against the libero, effectively stopping the libero from continuing his sentence. asahi, then, drops down his arm back at his side and stares at the same male who's pointing at him. the air is tense, and both teams are silent for a few second, until someone from the other team speaks up.

"ho-hold it! hooold it! st..." the male pushes against the white-haired male in from, making way to reveal himself to your team with a slightly frightened and anxious expression. "stop that!" he then tries to lower the white haired male's outstretched arm down, the other hand on his back, trying to move him, but to no avail. his head looks back and forth from karasuno and the male before him, still sporting the frightened and anxious look. "i'm really sorry! really sorry!"

"that's okay..." daichi awkwardly dismisses the apology, but it falls unto deaf ears as the other team captain continues to panic and calls for the help of another player.

"hey, futakuchi!" he's now trying with both of his hands to push down the outstretched arm from the white-haired giant. "help me out here!" another player comes out of the group, replying nonchalantly to the captain and, with a single push of his arm, brings down the extended arm and turns him from the team. with his hands to no-eyebrow-san's back, he turns his head to look back at the team.

"sorry about that. this guy has a habit 'locking on' to you if he knows you're an ace... so..." he scans the team with a sly, knowing look on his face. "please be prepared for it _this time_ as well."

the team watches in silence as datekou walks away, unable to say anything as they their backs grow smaller and smaller until they disappear from your sights. tanaka, now deeming it safe to do so, puts his tongue out to childishly mock the other team, while sugawara attempts to comment on the exhange.

"wow, that was a bit jarring..." he turns to the ace with a slight satisfied look, "asahi, you did a great job, not averting your ey..." before him, and in front of the team, asahi's frozen over and is sweating bullets, tense and worried about what just happened. 

"n-now i'm nervous..." 

"why're you so weak off the court?" nishinoya chides the giant, while tanaka, beside the libero, chides _him._

"noya-san, have a little tact!!" the team turns around one by one, and asahi's still frozen over at the same spot, so you went over to him and embraced him tightly, knowing that your hugs give him comfort (he admitted it to you last year, and you _could not_ stop giving him hugs after that).

"asahi-senpai, you can do it!!" you cheer on the third year, keeping your arms around his waist, even as you're walking, until he stops shaking and sweating. 

at this point, kiyoko separates from the group, volunteering to sort out the paperwork needed by the officials and help out ukai and takeda. 

since the restrooms are full, the boys decided to just change in a corner, already wearing their jersey shorts underneath their tracksuit and just needing to replace their plain white shirts to their matching jersey top. 

having used to seeing change right in front of you (and, consequently, seeing them shirtless right in front of you), you routinely grabbed their discarded shirts and folded them neatly, going through each of the players individually, helping them fold up their shirts and store it in their gym bags nicely. 

you finished folding up kageyama's shirt and handing it back to him. you turned to your right, mindlessly asking whoever it is for their shirt for you to fold next; however, you noticed that it was hinata, and to say that you found him in a state of nervousness is an absolute _understatement._

"hinata-kun... do you feel okay?" you asked the tangerine worriedly, bending down slightly to place a hand on his back and rub circles lightly against his jersey covered skin. "i have medicine here if you need them!" with your other hand, you patted the belt bag that you wore across your chest, finding to have an easier access when worn this way compared to being worn around your waist. 

"oi." kageyama rebukes at his partner, his face expressing his usual disapproval or annoyance towards the other first year. "you're not gonna say your stomach hurts again or any of that, right."

"i'm... sh... shaving with excrement!!!"

"wait, _what?!_ " both you and kageyama ask the shorter middle blocker in surprise and horror; you stepped back in shock, taking your hands off of his back for a split second before stepping in and returning your hand, this time placing it on the back of his head and massaging his scalp instead. sugawara calmly walks over to you three, an amused smile adorning his visuals, then bends down slightly.

"you meant to say ' _shaking with excitement'_ , right?" he asks with his hands on his waist, his tone expressing his amusement toward's the first year's current dilemma. 

"nope, it's just normal shivering!" tanaka chimes in from behind kageyama, laughing at the clearly anxious first year. you sighed at their exchange, reaching into what you assumed to be hinata's discarded white shirt and folding it up quickly for him, placing it atop his bag when you're done, and moving to tsukishima and yamaguchi in the corner. 

you pick up a white shirt, your hands naturally folding the fabric, then asked the other first year duo whose shirt it is. 

"ah, mine!" yamaguchi turns to you, his hands smoothing down the front of his top. "thank you, [lastname]-san!"

"call me [name], yamaguchi-kun!"

"ah... then, call me tadashi, [name]-senpai."

"you can drop the senpai, i feel embarrassed when you guys call me that," you laughed awkwardly. you notice tsukishima looking at the two of you, his expression unreadable. you see the white shirt that's laid flat on his gym bag, and you meet his eyes and refer to his disposed shirt with a pointed look. "can i fold that for you, tsukishima-kun?"

wordlessly, he grabs the shirt and hands it to you, and you fold it without saying anything else. you hand it back over to him with a smile, standing back up straight and turning around to go back to the other members when you hear tsukishima speak.

"aren't you gonna tell me to call you by your name, [lastname]-senpai?"

"well, if i did that, tsukishima-kun, i know for a _fact_ that you'll get either make fun of me or insult me about it." 

"you don't know that," he says with a smirk on his lips. "maybe all this time, i've been waiting for your permission all this time, senpai."

"well, judging by your choice to call me senpai _despite_ me telling tadashi-kun to not call me that just a few seconds ago..." you trailed off, looking to the side while your tone and your expression turns coy. you return your gaze back to the male in front of you, seeing him smirk wider with a cheeky expression.

"touché, senpai." he continues to call you that, "then i'll just continue to call you by your last name, [lastname]-senpai."

"don't push it, kid." you warned him lightly. you both exchange a sly look before you proceeded back to where you were before. you notice hinata having an enlightened expression on his face. sugawara notices the tangerine and looks at him with an alarmed expression.

"ah. i'm alright now." _what just happened?_ you asked yourself. _i was gone for just a few minutes and now hinata became... Buddha...?_

"oi, just what did are you remembering!" sugawara asks him, his concern reaches the first year's deaf ears. right next to them, nishinoya turns to the ace with a doubtful look.

"if you know how to deal with it, then why'd you cave like that during the match with datekou?" asahi tenses and lets out a startled sound at the back of his throat. behind him, tanaka looks back to the libero in an appalled manner.

"noya-san's pouring salt on the wound again!" he concomitantly expresses his disapproval for his fellow second year teammate.

"yuu..." you trailed off, not wanting to scold your precious friend. asahi panics at his question and starts to ramble.

"i didn't have a chance to imagine something like that... and imagining itself requires time and concentrating and all sorts of other things!"

"what a pain," sugawara blankly comments at the ace's poor explanation. 

"alright, you guys ready?" daichi as the team, holding his team jacket. he, then, turns around and puts it on his back, alike to how a cape would be worn. he turns his head to look at the team once again, "it's the first match. we'll be warming up soon." 

"osu!" the team replies back to him, their faces determined and ready for the said match. the team places their bags close together in the same corner they changed in. one by one, they stand up and put on their team jackets before proceeding over to the court. 

on the way, you hear someone call out daich by his family name, and you all turned to see a male from the tokonami greeting them with a simple wave of his hand. "long time no see."

"sorry, go on ahead," he tells you and sugawara, and you both respond with a _kaay!_ before catching up with the rest of the group to the courts, which slowly grow larger and larger as you walk towards it; you spot the rest of the team lightly stretching on the sidelines before their actual warm up jog. just a few feet in front of you, you see the iconic first year duo fighting as per usual.

"uoooh!! there's so much space! it's huuuge!"

"oi, you better be not scared."

"nuoo?! you're the one who's scared!"

"anyway you look at it, that's you!"

"wh-why're you getting so angry about it..." _i never thought i'd see a day where i'd be relieved to see two people fighting, but here i am._ you smiled at the duo warmly, enjoying the familiar sight and sound of their bickering before coming up to them and reminding them to join the rest of the group for the first warm up.

along with the rest of the other teams who've already started their warm ups, the team execute their warm up stretches for a few minutes to prepare their bodies, and their minds, for the upcoming match. after they finished the stretches, they do the first half of their routine, then they stop for a few minutes to rest a little, approaching your little water-and-towel station you arranged on the table that's between two courts (and a table that you share the half of with another team's manager, who has the same refreshment set up as you) while they warmed up.

one by one, they grabbed their water bottles, some of them finishing the entirety of its contents. they rested for a while before daichi calls for them to return, and you take this time to grab the water bottles and a collapsible basket that you used for carrying the water bottles, placing them inside before heading out of the gym and to a nearby water fountain.

while refilling each bottle, you opened your phone to see if you've missed any chats. 

**5** unread chats from **[tetsu♡]**

ah, of course. who else would spam you cringy memes and ask you what you're doing every ten minutes of every day?

**[tetsu♡]**

●︿●

**[tetsu♡]**

●︿●

**[tetsu♡]**

●︿●

**[tetsu♡]**

●︿●

**[tetsu♡]**

●︿●

**[kitten♡]**

did u rlly just send the same message

every 20 mins?? 

**[tetsu♡]**

●︿●

**[kitten♡]**

aww~

poor bby

**[tetsu♡]**

●︿●

**[kitten♡]**

sending me the same sad emoji won't make me forgive u

**[tetsu♡]**

●︿●

**[kitten♡]**

tetsu...

**[tetsu♡]**

●︿●

**[kitten♡]**

i hate how weak i am for u and kenma

FINE

i'll stop ignoring u

**[tetsu♡]**

●︿●

**[kitten♡]**

.... and i won't bake another apple pie just for kenma

**[tetsu♡]**

**♡** you

**[kitten♡]**

hate u 

jk

stay safe, captain **♡**

O/

**[tetsu♡]**

O/

after you refilled and placed them in the basket, you grabbed the handles with both of your hands, situating the receptacle in front of you. _how does shimizu-senpai do this..._ you grimaced at how difficult it is to carry with how heavy it is, pouting further when you remembered how far the fountain is from the actual courts. _i'll pray for you, shimizu-senpai!_

"oh," a familiar cheery voice reaches your ears. you jumped at the sound, then turn away slightly so that your face is directly hidden away from the tireless male you've, unfortunately, come to know and be _slightly_ close with for over the past month or so. "it's [name]-chan!" 

gathering your wits and patience, you turned around slowly, your face clear with dread and underlying annoyance. you see oikawa in front of you with a wide grin on his lips, his eyes nearly closing due to his smile. he's still wearing their team tracksuit, carrying his gym bag on his shoulder and placing his hands on his hips on the opposite side of his bag. 

"oikawa-san..." you ignored his automatic response to how you called him, used to his all demanding antics for you. "good luck for your game," you blankly greeted him.

"is that how you wish for me and my team's success, [name]-chan?" he asks with an exaggerated look of sadness on his face. "i'm so sad, i thought we've grown closer with every day that we talk!" he exaggerates his sadness with a theatrical placing of the back of his hand to his forehead, his chin turning upside ways and his eyes closing to express his grief. suddenly, his head gets slammed from the top with a karate chop belonging from another male. 

"you're so annoying, " a deep voice chastises him. the owner of the voice steps out from behind the ~~annoying~~ captain and stands to his side; he notices your weary expression, and just from that instance, he understands your suffering.

"i would like to apologize for him," he pardons his friend with a bow of his head; you bow at him also as a greeting before telling him that you're fine. you both raise your heads at the same time, turning to the other person near your vicinity, wearing a [pout ](https://data.whicdn.com/images/216149449/original.jpg)on his face before returning quickly to his usual cheery expression.

"iwa-chan!! this is the [name] i've been telling you about!!" he excitedly tells his childhood friend about you, going behind your back and placing both of his hands on your shoulders. "she's really cute, isn't she? i remember when..." you both ignored him and looked at each other with matching tired faces, exchanging a look that says ' _ah, you feel my pain, too.'_

"this loser never shuts up about you."

"he never shuts up when we talk, either." you both look at each other and immediately feel a connection. you both step up closer, and in the background, oikawa stops his story telling to look at you two with a suspecting face. 

"i'm iwaizumi hajime," he introduces himself, bowing slightly. his voice is warm and balanced, formal yet somehow comforting at the same time. _he has a really nice voice, unlike someone else here..._ (you don't want to admit that oikawa has a nice voice when he's talking in his deep, normal voice, like from that time he kidnapped you in his school. you found yourself replaying that memory over and over again, but who are you going to admit that to? )

"i'm [lastname] [name], please call me [name] instead." 

"OI, I'M HERE YOU KNOW?!" he [pouts ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/30/79/29/3079297fc82ecb32a01e360641de43af.jpg)at both of you, his hands clenched to his sides and his feet slightly apart from each other. "i feel so betrayed right now." you chuckled at his adorable expression, surprising yourself (including oikawa himself, and everyone in the vicinity who recognized the two famous players and is curious about what's going to happen) when you reach up at his hair on your tip toes to ruffle his hair affectionately. 

"sorry, oikawa-san! don't be mad at either of us, yeah?" you smiled up at him with a tilt of your head, your twin pigtails beside you swaying lightly because of your movements. oikawa gasps, _i can't take it—_

"[name]-chaan!!" he suddenly hugs you tightly, surprising the both of you at his public display of affection. _i swear if this becomes a scandal—_

"oi, get off of her. let her go dammit—"

"no!! [name]-chan _rarely_ gives me any affection—"

"and i'll make sure she'll never give you any more affection if you don't let go of her," iwaizumi picks up oikawa from his waist, effectively detaching the latter's arms from you, then drags his captain by clutching the back of his collar tightly. "they're already by the stands. let's go already, loserkawa."

"i'll see you later, [name]-chan!" he yells out as he gets dragged, and a couple people look back and forth from oikawa and you. you sighed, picking back up the basket and wobbled back to the court. _great, i hope they're seated away from where i plan to place the banner..._

you return back to the court to see the team practicing their spikes; ukai, takeda and kiyoko had also returned and are talking to one another in the sidelines. 

"[name]-chan!" you hear tanaka yell out from the court. he gathers the attention of several players (who were curious as to why he would yell out a name with an _chan_ honorific if they're surrounded by teenage males, but they digress) and waves his hand above his head to for you to notice. you place down the basket on the shared table in the middle of two courts and turned to your ~~bald~~ friend.

he sees you looking at his direction and motions for you to toss for the team by pointing to you and doing a toss motion. you give him an ok sign before searching for a ball cart and pushing it near the benches. alike to how the team warmed up on the nekoma high school practice match, they practiced their spiking in a half court set up by spiking towards the wall, with kiyoko catching the stray balls and placing them back into cart. 

spiking practice ends just as an announcement calls out throughout the gymnasium that there's only twenty five minutes left until the first match starts.

you tidy up the make-shift refreshment table you have and helped kiyoko place them in the assigned court for their match with tokonami high. after placing down the water bottles and arranged a pile of fresh towels for the boys to use, you turn to the team and announce that you'll be on the stands. 

"aren't you going to stay with us, [name]-san?" hinata approaches you with a confused look on his face. he's frowning slightly, but it's nothing compared to the frown kageyama has on his face when you told them that only one manager is allowed on the bench, and since this is an organized competition, having a team medic isn't needed as there's a nearby clinic and other professionals on standby.

"i'll be fine up there," you tell the tangerine as he frowns deeper. you place a hand on top of his head, ruffling it slightly. the team silently watches the exchange between you and hinata, but the silence gets broken when you hear tanaka screaming from behind you.

"there it is!" tanaka screams out at your interaction with the first year.

"the good luck hair ruffle!" nishinoya finishes, and they both rush over to you, bowing their heads for you to ruffle theirs. 

"please, if you will!" they both scream aloud, _too loud._ against your will, _more_ people started looking your way, which made you embarrassed because a pair of volleyball players just asked something to a tiny girl _with a childish twin pigtail hairstyle_ while they bowed their heads down significantly.

 _can't wait to hear what people will think of this,_ you grimaced in your head. 

but still, you indulged in the second years' wishes, placing your hand from hinata's hair and, with the other hand reaching up as well, ruffling the hair of the two males in front of you. you made sure to ruffle them just a _tiny_ bit more forceful than hinata's while telling them "didn't i tell you to stop this nonsense last year _, hmm?_ "

to your right, the rest of the team approaches you with a knowing look as well. "me too!" "[name]!! you _still_ haven't given me my good luck hug!" "stop hogging her all to yourselves!"

with a sigh (and a heavy blush on your cheeks) you proceeded to ruffle the hair of each individual player in your team, muttering a _good luck_ or _do your best_ to them while doing so. you were about to exit the group when sugawara pulls you into his chest as you ruffled his hair, complaining that he's been waiting for his hug so he's having it now. 

cue another few minutes that the team spent instead of continuing to warm up; to an outsider, it just looks as if the entire team, save for three boys who're looking at their teammates with confusion, is enamored by you: they lean into your every touch, they cling unto your every word, and they savor every warm moment they have in you. 

well... _they aren't wrong_.

"[name]-chaaan!" nishinoya and tanaka cry out, once again, for the _third time._

 _"it's not like i'm going away!"_ you expressed your exasperation as the duo sandwiches you again in between them. 

"but you are!" you turn your head to look at daichi and ennoshita with a _please, save me_ look, and they immediately come for you, each of them pulling one of the second years that clings to your body. you sighed, turning around to grab your bag and internally doing a checklist to see if you've left anything.

"did they... did this last year, too?" you hear tsukishima ask, and you turned back around to see him asking asahi, who laughs sheepishly and rubs the back of his head, scratching lightly at his scalp to calm his nerves down.

"it's weird to say, but we're really attached to [name]."

"you should stop that before you start to rely on it," you reach for the ace's hand, pulling it down gently back to his side. he complains that you've done it to him so often that he's started to do it to himself. you sighed once again, unable to do or say anything. you turn to tsukishima, who has a blank look on his face.

"do i... give you a goo—"

"no thank you," he rejects the idea. behind him, sugawara jumps up at the giant first year and pushes his back forward, effectively forcing tsukishima to bow before you. 

"do it, tsukishima! it's good luck!"

"koushi-senpai, if he doesn't want to, then don't push him!" you scold the third year, who pouts at you in response and stops pushing the blonde's back. tsukishima stands back up straight and looks back at you with a tired expression.

"is it such an important ritual that they've grown so attached to it..."

"i hate to say it, but yeah." he's silent for a few more seconds, glancing back and forth between at the third year setter and you. you're currently checking all the contents of your bag, triple checking _just to be sure_. after reaffirming yourself, you zip it back up to see tsukishima bowing his head slightly at you. 

"are you... okay—"

"just do it," he sighs. he's looking straight at the floor, and he's feeling slightly warm because he's never done this before, and he feels stupid and played when he feels nothing for a few seconds, ready to stand back up straight, but at the last moment he feels your fingers card through his short hair; he feels how gentle yet firm they are as it scratched lightly against his scalp, and he can't help but admit that _it actually does feel good._

you stop after a few seconds, just ruffling the giant blonde's hair quicker than usual because you know that he'll get uncomfortable. from the corner of your eye, you see yamaguchi look at the two of you with wide eyes and an even wider mouth, in disbelief that _tsukki actually went with it?!_

immediately, he rushes to you, and with a gentle smile and a shy, embarrassed voice, he asks for you to do the same for him. tsukishima stands back up after hearing his childhood friend's voice, and he sees you ruffling his hair with a warm, gentle smile on your face; your eyes almost turn into crescent moons because of how widely you're smiling, and he can't help but notice that your eyes shine and twinkle with the help of the overhead lights of the gymnasium.

_finally_ , you're saying your last wishes for the team. you wave them goodbye, and both you and the team turn around to head towards your destinations—

"[las]— [name]-san," you hear kageyama call out for you softly, and you feel his hand tugging at the sleeve of your tracksuit jacket. you turned your head to see him with his head down, and wordlessly, he bows deeper in front of you. without a question, you ruffle his hair and massage his scalp lightly, beyond happy that even _he_ is giving into the team 'ritual' (but you'll still hit tanaka, nishinoya and sugawara on their heads for bringing it up because you already told them that _no, that 'good luck hug' or 'good luck hair ruffle' doesn't exist!_ ).

"i believe in you, tobio," you tell him earnestly. you let go of him afterwards, and he stands back up to give a nod before jogging back to the team, joining them in their official warm up before their first match of interhigh.

behind you, hinata notices the entire seijou team on the stands, sitting slightly to the left of their assigned court. it's not the grand king that he notices first, however, but...

"it's shallot-head!!" the mentioned male scrunches his face in confusion while his teammate laughs at him, and just then he notices the captain leaning over the railings. 

"hey there, tobio-chan! chibi-chan!" he holds up a peace sign with his right index and middle fingers. "how's the oddball combo doing~?" behind him, iwaizumi smacks his shoulder for blocking his view. no doubt, they've seen you hug and ruffle and giggle around your teammates, and they can't help but be jealous because they don't have a female manager to do that with, nor do they know a female who isn't biased towards their popular captain. 

however, they pushed that thought and their feelings in the back of their minds, observing the team on the court and noticed that they have a few new additions since their last meeting. 

* * *

you panted slightly as you quickly ran up the stairs, slightly panicking because you didn't check if there's still a spot for your team's banner to display. 

now that you're at the stands, you jogged over to where the assigned court for the team is and sighed when you saw that the railing is free from any banners; quickly, you opened your gym bag and carefully pulled out the black banners, rolling it out on the floor. 

"need help with that, [name]-chan?" you hear oikawa ask in front of you. surprised, you looked up and saw that the entire aobajousai team is looking at you, _wha— even both of their coaches?!_

you smiled sheepishly, feeling your face get warm under their intense gazes, and politely tell oikawa that you're fine with doing this on your own. 

"nonsense!" he tells you, already moving to pick up the nearest corner of the banner. unable to deny him, you both synced your movements to drape the banner over the railing and tie them tightly. you turned to oikawa, bowing slightly at him, and thanked him for helping you. 

in hindsight, you should've known it was too good to be true (well, doesn't this seem _familiar?_ ); you should've noticed the smirk on his lips and the hidden intention in his eyes while you thanked him, because then, maybe, you might've been able to stay right behind this very banner so that you can cheer on the boys as they finished their official warm up.

well, you can't help it now, because you're being pulled over to the side by the very same individual who just helped you put up the banner for your school team. you can only look at the back of the banner as your arm gets trapped between his arm and his sides, and you can't do anything but follow the captain as he drags you towards where their team is sitting and _oh my god, this is so embarrassing, i can't believe—_

 _"_ [nam- lastname]-san, _"_ iwaizumi asks with a confused and surprised tone. after being forcibly seated by his friend (" _just sit here while the game hasn't started, [name]-chan!_ "), you stayed silent while he rambled on about his day and about how he got hit in the back of the head with a spiked volleyball. iwaizumi, coming back from the bathroom, stops in his tracks when he sees you wear the same expression you had when the two of you had met just earlier. immediately, he comes up behind oikawa and smacks him behind his head.

"iwa-chan!" oikawa complains while rubbing his head with his hand. he turns to you, "see, [name]-chan? he's always so violent to me!"

"yes, i noticed that from earlier," you blankly told him. once again, you both ignored the male ~~throwing a tantrum~~ to exchange a look of shared pain and suffering. 

"you can go back, [lastname]-san," the third year ace tells you. "i'll stay here and guard this idiot away from you."

"a personal guard? a human restraining order? iwaizumi-san, you're really a life saver!"

"STOP IGNORING ME!!"

"the match will start in four minutes. again, the match with start in four minutes," an announcement booms loudly within the gymnasium, and you can feel the excitement buzz brighter and louder through the air. you start to stand up, ignoring the protests of the male beside you, but he doesn't grasp onto your arm nor does he try to hold you down. you turned to him, slightly confused, and you're greeted with a look of surprise.

"well, i did tell you that you'll just sit here until the match starts," he says with an knowing tone. "don't tell me, [name]-chan. do you want to seat with us—"

"no, i'm getting up." you do as you say, grasping the straps of your gym bag over your shoulder as you stood and walked away from the team, but not without a bow and a _thank you_ passing through your lips in respect to them and their coaches. 

iwaizumi keeps his promise to you and takes the seat you just sat on, guarding and monitoring oikawa closely. the team, previously silent because of your presence, now erupts in hushed whispers of their own observations.

"this is the first time i've seen a girl treat oikawa that way," the captain muses, laughing at the memory of how you just stared blankly in front of you while the captain rambled on and on about how iwaizumi hit him with every chance that he could. 

"[name]-chan is special, isn't she?" oikawa, despite being indirectly roasted by his older coach, sighs at the sight of you leaning over the railings, smiling at how, because of your ~~incredibly~~ short stature, the top of the railings go up to your chest instead of the upper abdomen, for players who have the same ~~blessed~~ height as his. 

from his angle, the lights from the very ceiling of the gymnasium shine brightly in front of you, the light bouncing off your skin and the light blending through the ends of your hair, making it appear to be a shade lighter than it is. you've taken off your jacket, but still let it drape over your shoulders, and he sees you smile brightly at your teammates below you. 

_yeah, she is special after all._

* * *

e x t r a ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

* * *

while checking your appearance in the mirror for the nᵗʰ time ( _"[name]-chan, you look fine—" "i_ still _feel weird!"_ ), your phone vibrates in your pocket and rings a muffled, familiar tune. quickly, you put down the mirror beside the empty seat and pulled out your phone, answering it without looking at the caller id.

"[name]-chan!" you internally sighed, _i should_ really _start to look at the contact name before picking up._

"yes?" you asked with a huff to your voice, expressing your annoyance to the ever-so-persistent volleyball captain. 

"[name]-chan, that's mean!" he complains, and you can _feel_ his pout all the way from where you're sitting. "i just wanted to know if you'd like to meet up later at the gymnasium?"

"why... would i do that?" you asked hesitantly, unsure of where this is going. 

"i want to give you something!" he says with a smile. not that you could see him or anything, but with how often he's calling you (now that you think about it, maybe you should put a different ring tone specifically for him...), you know how he's reacting behind the phone.

"i'm not sure if i can meet up with you, o _—_ " you stopped yourself before blurting out his name in the presence of your team. _i can't say his name here! fuck, what do i call him?_

"' _o_ '? why did you stop, [name]-chan?"

"ah, i'm still on the bus on the way..."

"then, call me too _—_ "

"no thanks, onii-chan." you apathetically told the male, earning a few curious glances from the members who are near you because _wait, she has a brother?_

_"o... oni-"_

"i'll be going now, onii-chan. bye," you cut off the conversation blankly, pressing the red end call button and stuffing your phone back into your pocket. in front of you, hinata turns around in his seat and leans over his space.

"you have a brother, [name]-san?"

"i don't," you muttered to the first year. he gives you a questioning look, but you looked away to avoid answering his question.

meanwhile, oikawa and his team are already at the sendai city gymnasium. as their coaches stray off to the side to deal with the paperwork, oikawa stops all of a sudden while leading the team, which consequently, makes the rest of the team stop in their tracks as well. 

"oi," iwaizumi gruffs at his friend. "why'd you stop _—_ "

"SHE CALLED ME ONII-CHAN!" oikawa turns around unexpectedly, startling some of his teammates and even some of the players due to his loud voice inside the venue. iwaizumi looks at him with his signature disapproving look, similar to how a mother looks when her children ask for something impossible.

"did he... get sibling zon _—_ " yahaba starts to question, but oikawa quickly dismisses it with a _NO! I DID NOT!._

"how can you be sure of that?" mattsukawa asks, slightly behind iwaizumi. to his left, hanamaki nods at his friend's question, supporting the idea that _hey, maybe you're delusional._

"i swear, she doesn't mean it that way!" oikawa tries to ~~deceive~~ convince ~~himself~~ the group that they got it all wrong. "it's because she's a second year and i'm older than her _—_ "

"i got it," iwaizumi sighs, tired of hearing his friend trying to explain. the two third years behind him look at him in shock because _this is iwaizumi-san we're talking about!_ behind them, the team looks at each other with curious glances as well because for once, they're seeing iwaizumi complying with their captain. _looks like you see something new everyday,_ they all thought.

"but how can you be sure that she says 'onii-chan' and not 'oni-chan'?"*

_ah, there it is._

"IWA-CHAN, I THOUGHT YOU UNDERSTOOD ME!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *onii (older brother) vs. oni (demon)
> 
> also i don't rlly post my after chapter rants here (it's on quotev tho hehe) but
> 
> i just wanna say that kageyama is absolutely the Best Boy in haikyuu!!. a lot of people just dismiss him as just a tsundere when, in reality, he's probably never had a friend before coming to karasuno: he's spent almost the entirety of middle school alone and he's spent almost the entirety of his childhood with no one beside him as a genuine, real friend except volleyball. he doesn't know how to manage his feelings or emotions, he doesn't understand it when people compliment him or celebrate with him. the only people who've called him by his name are his family members, which is a given, and oikawa, who uses it mockingly against him.
> 
> but, you know what? he's trying his best, and that's what matters. i love him so much


	8. 𝚎 𝚒 𝚐 𝚑 𝚝  ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> finally, it's time for the first match of interhigh! while you watch the team from above (no, you're not dead, just on the second floor), you remember your promise with the team, and surprise, surprise! it involves a lot of texting and panic and...
> 
> ... a ceremony?

**june 2, sunday**

four minutes left until karasuno's first match of this year's interhigh begins. _i'm excited!_

you grasped the strap of your gym bag, securing it over your left shoulder as you stoop up and walked away from the seat oikawa dragged you to. you don't hear a complaint from him (which is shocking), but you don't have the courage to look at the rest of the team directly in their eyes as you turned around and bowed forward, muttering loudly a ' _thank you for letting me sit with you'_ before quickly jogging over to the center of the black team banner.

grasping the handrails tightly, you leaned slightly against it, feeling the solid metal-and-wood combination against your chest ( _this height is a curse!!_ ). you looked down to see them huddled up in a tight circle: ukai tells the team his last reminders and his words of encouragement, and takeda follows after the coach. daichi signals for everyone to place their hands on top of the other members', all of them bent down slightly and waiting for daichi to start the team mantra.

despite datekougyou's loud and omnipresent chant echoing all throughout the gym, you focused intently while looking at the team, wanting to give them all of your attention and support.

"karasuno, _fight_!"

"ossu!"

they all stand up straight, and together, the team looks up at the banner and sees your little head with the cute twin pigtails in the middle, your mouth smiling widely at them from above and your eyes sparkling with such genuine _happiness._ you see them looking at you, and you hold up your right pinky towards them, referencing their promise to you, and your promise to them.

" _i promise to keep my friends updated on my safety,_ " you announced to the team on the stage, facing daichi and sugawara in front of you as you hold out your pinky. " _i promise to not let them worry, to always be aware that they're concerned about my safety and my being._ "

when the two asked you to promise ( _pinky promise_ from sugawara, specifically) about keeping them updated about your whereabouts, you were grateful for their concern, as anyone would react and feel when their friends expressed their friend's worry. 

but when you heard from kuroo about a sudden, specific text from his rival captain, you quickly learned that _that_ wasn't the whole story. 

**[tetsu♡]** is now online

**[tetsu♡]**

oi

i just noticed this 

ur cap texted me 10 mins ago

asking me if i knew where u are

???

**[tetsu♡]**

[name]??

**[tetsu♡]**

[NAME]

REPLY PLEASE

**[kitten♡]**

oh

sorry!!

they already know where i am

don't worry!!

i just forgot to text them

**[tetsu♡]**

u worried me

A LOT

tell me everything asap

**[kitten♡]**

ok chill

me n the other manager are planning a surprise for them

so we separated from the boys while walking home

i went w the excuse that the fam is suddenly at my apt

i told them i'll text when i got home

but i forgot to

**[kitten♡]**

tetsu?

**[kitten♡]**

pls don't be mad 

:((

**[tetsu♡]**

wait till i tell kenma about this

**[kitten♡]**

DONT

PLEASR

PLWASR

PLEASE

he's gonna lecture em to death!!

TESYU PLEASE

**[tetsu♡]**

okay i'm not telling kenma

but from now on

you should always remember that we're worried, okay?

and by we i mean everyone

**[kitten♡]**

okay

i promise

**[tetsu♡]**

u better pinky promise this shit

**[kitten♡]**

but i AM PINKY PROMISING WITH THEM

**[tetsu♡]**

PINKY PROMISE WITH ME TO THEN

**[kitten♡]**

but we're literally 400 km away???

**[tetsu♡]**

i'm on sec away from telling kenma

**[kitten♡]**

i'm sorry

i pinky promise 🥺

unfortunately for you, kenma already knew about the whole situation. 

while the team had been eating outside sakanoshita mart, eating their warm meat buns and asking each other if they've received texts from you, hinata had apparently sent the second year setter a series of texts that "asked" him if there were any news about you, on an assumption that, since you're childhood friends with the blonde haired male, you'd update them first than the team. if one were to describe the said series of texts, the word _panicking_ would be an absolute understatement. 

boy, if only you _knew_ what what happening behind their texts. 

after finishing the meat buns and everyone was ready to go on their separate ways home, the team continued to huddle together in the baby footsteps leading to the entrance of their coach's mart. sugawara had already sent a chat in the team chat, wanting you to reply back where everyone can see and confirm that _you're safe_. daichi had asked the older manager, but kiyoko said that she had no clue. staying still for a few more minutes and _still_ not receiving any texts from you from _anyone_ , they slowly started to get more and more anxious.

" _still nothing?_ " sugawara anxiously asked the team, his face clearly distressed and the tone of his voice wavered slightly, hesitant but needing to know the answer to his question. the members shook their heads, muttered or whispered _no_ and looked down at their phones, still waiting for their screens to light up with a text saying _i'm home!_ or _i'm safe!_ from you...

but there wasn't any.

" _okay, let's calm down,_ " daichi tries to reassure the team. " _let's not chat or spam her, let's be calm about this. she doesn't normally chat us when she's home, maybe she just... forgot?_ "

" _yeah, but she's not even seeing the chats_ ," nishinoya pipes from below, sitting down on the steps with his head down and looking only at the lit up screen on his phone, waiting for that _seen_ receipt from the most recent chat from the team vice captain. " _she's not even online—_ "

" _maybe she has the feature off?_ " asahi asks, fidgeting slightly. 

" _her account says last online thirty three minutes ago,_ " tanaka tells the team after tapping on her picture. " _but i doubt [name] would actually turn her visibility off..._ " he mutters, trailing his sentence because the teams knows that you actually wouldn't: you're someone who's always so willing to talk to them, going through the efforts of making sure that everyone is okay not only physically but also mentally; someone who repeatedly tells others that she's available, and, whether directly or not, that _hey, i'm always here for you. come talk to me if you need someone._

" _it's been almost twenty minutes, i'm sending another text to the group chat,_ " sugawara loudly informs the group. they nodded at him and waited for the notification, and once it appeared in their screens, they patiently waited for another notification, hoping that it's from you. 

" _she's still not online..._ " nishinoya speaks up after a few more minutes of just silence. 

" _you don't suppose... something bad... happened... right?_ " sugawara reluctantly asks the group. he laughs weakly because he knows that you're now familiar with self defense, but his face is fearful and his fingers are moving, tapping away the words in his head before he even realizes. daichi, disturbed by the possibility of his classmate's query, pulls out his phone (he avoided having it in his hands in the first place because he knows that he'll be the first one to start panicking at the sight of your inactivity) and starts typing out his own message for you at the team chat. tanaka, fed up with your lack of response and seeing the captain and vice captain typing frantically at their phones, starts doing the same. 

**[pretty boy setter]**

chat us immediately when u see this 

**[captain dadchi]**

**[name]** , suga's getting pretty nervous

and anxious

chat us when u get this, okay?

**[attack!!]**

[name]!!!

answer, damn it

" _tanaka!_ " daichi yells out, and the team looks at tanaka in surprise " _that was way too—_ "

" _she replied!_ " yamaguchi cries out from behind the second year trio. the team looks at the green-haired boy with wide eyes before quickly turning their heads to their phones, and it's almost comical to see how the chat heads under the most recent message gets filled up with everyone's tiny representational bubble. if the chats weren't screaming _we're anxious and very,_ very _worried!!,_ then maybe you'd get the hint once you notice that everyone, even narita and kinoshita, who are notorious for not checking in the group chat and would rather spend their time tagging each other on their social media because of memes, are active and online and _waiting for you_. 

**[guardian angel]**

i'm fine!!

i'm not home yet

i picked up a few things from a store

the team collectively sighs, their hearts increasingly beat faster despite it's already rapid pace because of the sudden rush of emotions and their eyes threaten to have a tear escape them due to the overwhelming assurance and guarantee that you're _fine, you're safe and sound._ even the first year duo who are famed for being straight faced look _relieved_ at the news that you're all right.

wordlessly, sugawara types up a response, his emotions too much of a clusterfuck to be sorted out and, instead, lets his subconscious move his fingers for him. 

**[pretty boy setter]**

i was getting worried

you could have told us

while we were waiting for your text

**[guardian angel]**

i'm sorry...

**[captain dadchi]**

it's fine, just

remember us next time

okay?

**[guardian angel]**

okay

i promise

**[pretty boy setter]**

[yubikiri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinky_swear)?

**[guardian angel]**

yes koushi-senpai

i pinky promise

sugawara unknowingly lets a tear roll down his cheek, the clear liquid slowly and smoothly escaping the corner of his orbs. it trails down the side of his face, and reflecting the light from a nearby lamppost against his supple skin. with a smile, he sends his simple response, urging the team to start their way home as it's already late past evening.

**[pretty boy setter]**

okay

fortunately for you, hinata already did the explaining for your blonde friend; but _unfortunately for you_ (yes, for the second time), kenma still gave you a lecture the moment he learned the entire story from the first year tangerine.

the next day, the team unknowingly split into groups that checked in with you personally. while storing away your outdoor shoes in your _getabako_ and slipping on your indoor shoes, a classmate of yours came up to your side to tell you that two boys had been waiting outside your classroom, asking for you. 

" _when did they arrive?_ "you asked your classmate while walking with her towards the classroom. 

" _they've been there since i arrived,_ " she told you with a smirk on her lips. she's aware that you know that she's almost always the first person to arrive in your classroom, being part of the student council committee and having duties before classes start. 

" _please tell me you arrived late today,_ "you asked her with slightly frightened expression. you were already tightening the grip on your bag when you questioned her, and the moment you heard _no_ from her lips, you bolted from the lobby and ran as fast as you could, buzzing past through the grouped students that crowd the hallways and treaded up the stairs as quickly as your leg muscles could muster. 

reaching your classroom, you saw in the distance the two boys you suspected from the start with their backs to the walls of the 2-5 classroom, their arms crossed over their chests and their heads down. from your point of view, it looks as if they're sleeping whilst standing upright, leaning their weight against the solid wall.

slowing down your pace, you walked cautiously to approach the two, and as you quiet your footsteps to stand in front of the two, you observe their tired faces: their eyes are closed with dark, slightly puffy under eye circles adorning their otherwise usual youthful appearance; their eyebrows are slightly furrowed; and the corners of their lips turn down as well. they look weary and troubled and _tense_. 

you could only stare at them in silence before the atmosphere gets broken when a classmate of yours sees you from inside and calls out to you. instantly, the duo opens their eyes and meets with your own: worried and concerned and... _watery?_

nishinoya and tanaka jump up, their hearts beats after after discerning the glistening layer of moisture in your orbs, beyond concerned because _hey, aren't we supposed to be the one who're in the verge of crying?!_

" _i'm sorry,_ " you muttered lowly, but it's loud enough that the two hear your apology and still for a moment. they've only heard you be so vulnerable and weak once in the entirety of that they've known you, and they cannot deny how absolutely heartbroken it makes them feel to hear and see you so dejected like this. 

they both walk up to you and sandwich you in the middle, hugging you tightly and muttering _it's okay, we were worried, but it's okay, you're safe_ repeatedly in your ears. you don't burst out in tears unlike the last time they've seen you like this, but you still tremble as you repeat your apology for them, with each _sorry_ that passes through your lips decreasing in volume as you calm down with their whispered reassurances. 

the bell rang after a few minutes, and they reluctantly let go of you and remove themselves near your presence; instead, you gave them a smile and a light but strong squeeze of each their hands, telling them _i'll see you later at practice_ with a warm smile and glossy eyes illuminating your face.

by lunchtime, your classmates call out to you once again that another group of people have come to the 2-5 classroom, asking specifically for you. you stand up from your desk and looked past the windows to see the other three individuals you've expected to come by. when you opened the door, however, you were surprised with the presence of _another_ _three_ _individuals_. 

" _[name]-chan!_ " " _[name]!"_ the group called out to you in synchrony; sugawara and asahi didn't hold back, immediately diving in to hug you tightly, alike to what happened with the second year duo in the morning. daichi and the second year trio, on the other hand, move close to you with worried but relieved expressions. you apologized for your actions once again, and the two highest positioned individuals of the team remind you of your promise from the previous day.

" _we're holding a promise ceremony before practice!_ " sugawara told you over his shoulder as he and the rest walked back to their classrooms. you could only look at him with a slightly dubious expression as you mulled over the words he just told you. a... _what now?_ " _get to the gym early, 'kay?_ "

you did as the third year vice captain had told you to, arriving early by immediately running out of the classroom to change at a nearby restroom once your homeroom teacher had deemed your class dismissed. you ran back to grab your bag, stuffed the hastily folded up uniform back into your bag and quickly dashed through the hallways and carefully ran down the stairs to head to the school's second gymnasium. 

when you arrived, you saw no one, not even hinata nor kageyama, who have been arriving to practice earlier than you do for the past few weeks.

they arrived quickly soon after you did, heading straight to your seated form on your favorite spot on the stage to ask you if you were fine. hinata expressed his worries openly (albeit stuttering and with a deep flush on his cheeks) while kageyama reminded you to be more aware next time (also stuttering and with a deep flush on his cheeks). the other first year duo arrived after surprisingly, and immediately headed to your little group with a hidden look of worry from a freckled-faced male and a concerned question that's masked with annoyance from a blonde giant, but you knew that there's more than what you were seeing with how the rest of the team had acted earlier in the day. 

everyone had arrived a few minutes later, and daichi and sugawara calls for the team's attention for the so-called ' _promise ceremony'_ by asking them to stand before the stage, as if this were a legitimate school ceremony, then dragging you onto the stage as participants of the ceremony. 

" _it's unfair if only_ i _have to promise something,_ " you argued to the two third years as you reluctantly stepped up to the stage with them behind you. " _promise something back to me or to the team!_ "

with the proclaimed 'ceremony' starting, sugawara acts as the officiant by greeting the audience (read: the team, and the two adults who snuck in quietly and are looking at the scene with amused faces) and pronounces the start of the ceremony by asking for you to declare you promise with your pinky up and exposed for the audience (again, _the team and the two adults_ ) to witness. you said your ~~vows~~ promises to the team, and looked to your left to look at what daichi has to say for this so-called 'ceremony'.

" _on behalf of the team,_ _we promise to win and go to nationals,_ " daichi declares back to you, and by extension, to the team. " _we promise to soar high and fly!_ "

you snap out of your flashback when you hear the other team yell out their team mantra. on the back of your mind, you're aware that they're another team who also dreams to go to nationals: to come out as the top team of this prefecture and to stand on the court along with the some of the country's best high school teams. you know that they're another team who wants to fight till the very end, but you know for a fact that your team has the need to stand on the court just a little longer; to run after the ball just a little more persistent; to play and face their opponents with the determination in their eyes just a little brighter.

finally, the match starts as the referee blows his whistle for tokonami's #1 to serve, commencing the first match of miyagi prefecture's interhigh preliminaries. you noticed, from the very edge of your peripherals, that iwaizumi and the spiky haired male ('shallot'-kun? 'turnip'-kun? _how many nicknames_ does _he have?_ ) had moved from the seats and stood by the railings, like you. 

_but i thought iwaizumi-san was gonna protect me from..._ you looked to your far right and saw the seijou captain yawning in his sea:, his eyes are closed and his hands are rested on top of one another against his abdomen. his form is slouched and he's not even looking in front of him— _nevermind, he looks_ incredibly _bored._

"TAKE THIS!" you hear tanaka scream from below. you return your attention to the match below you and see the second year wing spiker jump high and spike against two blockers, the ball hitting one of the opponent's wrist and turns it speedy direction straight to the ground below them, earning karasuno the first point of the first match. 

"OOOORYAAA!" you hear them yell out, their adrenaline and their competitive, fighting spirit rushing through their entire body. you see daichi open his mouth, but [tanaka and nishinoya](https://66.media.tumblr.com/2def0ffe3a4838e2b5295560681562e8/tumblr_n8nfnbXwWS1qge64so3_500.gif) interrupt him on two separate occasions.

"shut up!!" daichi and sugawara yells at the duo. "that's long enough!!" immediately, a whistle is blown and the referee point to the karasuno captain as a warning. hearing the comments from the other players watching the match, you can only laugh at the comical scene as daichi apologizes profusely to the referee with the second year duo looking sheepishly behind him.

"that was fast."

"what a bunch of morons~"

"those karasuno guys are funny."

with karasuno's first point, tanaka moves back to serve for the next rally; tokonami's #12 receives it, and they pass the ball for their #4 to spike against daichi's block, but nishinoya is quick on his feet to dig the incoming ball, sending it to asahi. 

"nishinoya, nice receive!!" despite having saved the ball from dropping on their side of the court, he's still so obviously frustrated with the quality of his receive. _no doubt, he's mad at himself that he couldn't sent it back to kageyama._ to your right, you hear another player reflect on your thoughts about the orange-clad libero. _yuu is a perfectionist on himself, after all,_ you mused in your head.

daichi calls out to asahi, sending the ball high for the ace to spike. tokonami gathers three blockers to the left, but still, asahi manages to find a gap in their group block and sends the ball past their defense; the ball connects with the floor with a loud sound, and you can only imagine the amount of power he put into that spike after hearing it all the way above from where you're standing. _i feel like that force is enough to break my bones_ , you joked darkly in your head. 

"wow, what power," you hear iwaizumi gasp in astonishment. you were about to cheer for the third year when you hear the other players comment of his powerful spike as well.

"wow, just what you'd expect from an adult."

"of course, since karasuno's got that fifth year who was held back!"

"asahi!" "asahi-senpai!" you and sugawara yelled together. "hang in there!" the grey-haired setter recognizes your voice and looks up at you with wide smile, giving you a thumbs up and a laugh that you unfortunately and sadly cannot hear. 

tanaka moves back to serve once again and he sends it across the net and into the awaiting hands of tokonami's #5. they try once again to earn a point by spiking, but nishinoya digs it and passes it to kageyama successfully.

hinata runs up in the center, his arms behind him; they swing up along with his jump, his impressive vertical leap shocking the other players in this court. it not only surprises the opponents, but also those who are watching, and even those who are playing on adjacent courts notice him, _in the middle of a match as well_. hell, it even woke up oikawa and made him excited enough that he's joined his two teammates, leaning and grasping on the railing with both of his hands in anticipation.

the entire gym is silent for a short moment as karasuno's ~~short~~ #10 soars up and above, his entire head almost higher the net, and swings his right arm to spike the ball against _no one_ ; the opponents are standing still in shock below him, and no doubt, they're all resonating in their minds on the fact that they're sorely mistaken for underestimating hinata based on his height alone. _i can feel it._

this _is the start of the veteran karasuno's revival._

* * *

the score is now 21 - 12, and tokonami high school calls for their second time out in the second set, gathering their team on the sidelines in a tight circle.

despite their intention to observe and look at it closely, the two seijou coaches must've figured out by now that the team isn't using the freak quick attacks from the oddball combo. well, they _are_ using quick attacks, just not the ones where hinata closes his eyes and blindly swings for the kageyama's crazy accurate pinpoint toss. 

tokonami's second and final timeout ends, and the players return to the court with rediscovered determination in their eyes: they manage to save a ball from dropping on their court and spike it to connect with the opposing court's floor, earning a point for them.

"alriiiight!" they all erupt in unanimous cheer. their score flips from 13 to 14, and you notice a certain libero glancing at the scoreboard for a second before—

"dammiiit!!" he curses out loud. startled, the opposing team looks over to nishinoya, his expression is the same as when he failed to send the ball to kageyama back in the first set. "next time! i'll _definitely_!! keep it in!! one point!!" 

"we're taking it back!" daichi declares to the team. _they're serious about this. they're giving it 100%_ plus _a little extra of themselves to win this match, despite the large gap in the current score._

you can't imagine how this might feel for the tokonami high school volleyball team, because, from a normal perspective, why would karasuno be irritated or angry that they scored one point against them? karasuno had already won the first set with a _large_ gap, and it's not all that different with this second set. _why would they be worried over the opposing team scoring one measly point against them if they're at the point of winning?_

the referee whistles one last time for the last serve of this match: tokonami passes the ball over the net cleanly, nishinoya receives it and sends it to kageyama successfully. he tosses it to daichi, who quickly jumps and spikes the ball over the net, sending it straight to tokonami's court, and the sound of the ball hitting the floor echoes throughout their ears, blending in with the referee's whistle that pronounces their first and last opponent of this year's interhigh's _absolute win._

_it's because they're hungry and serious for victory._

the officials flip over the second digit under karasuno's scoreboard, and the match ends. 25 - 14, winner: _karasuno high school_.

the teams line up at the endline of their respective courts, bowing deeply and exchanges respect with a loud shout of their gratitude.

" _thank you very much!_ "

they meet in front of the net and exchange handshakes, telling each other a good game and congratulations, then they meet up with the opposing team's coaches for further commentary trades from their perspective. with this sight, you quickly dashed to the staircase, barely holding onto the handrails of the staircase as you stepped down to the ground floor of the gym to greet your team for their first victory. 

when you emerge from the lobby and directed yourself towards the open court, you see them stretching to cool and calm their bodies down after the match. they're currently in a circle, their legs parted and outstretched as they lean to one side of their body, their hands grasping on the furthest they can reach on their foot.

since they're in a circle, most of them don't see you standing on the entrance, and the few people that do, since they're positioned to see where you are right now, look over to the entrance of the court and give you a big smile once they noticed your presence. they return to sitting upright, ready to switch and stretch to the other side when they see you.

disregarding the fact that one, they're sweaty; two, they're doing their cool down stretches; and three, _they're_ fucking _sweaty_ , you run up as fast as your legs could allow you and immediately hugged the first person you saw at his back, hooking your chin atop his head and wrapping your arms around his neck as you press your front flush to his dorsal half.

the person groans at the impact of your body colliding with his. he doesn't have to ask whoever this person is because there's only one (1) person he knows who, a) has thin, short arms (that's currently wrapped tightly around his neck), and b) is bold enough to hug _him_ , the infamous golden haired giant asshole, class 1-4, _tsukishima kei._

"congrats, everyone!!" you beamed and greeted the team loudly. in front of you, the third years smile at you and laugh at tsukishima's flustered face below your cheerful, bright and twinkle-eyed expression. _you look like an angel shining upon us while clutching tightly onto an appalled demon._

"the fight's not over yet," daichi tells after sending a warm smile at the sight in front of him. to his right, sugawara nods and directs the team to switch sides, their stretch routine hindered for only a few seconds due to your sudden arrival. 

despite hearing the vice captain's instruction, you don't let go of the male in front of you, wanting to tease him for a little bit more. tsukishima watches as his teammates around him lean over to their left, their right arm stretched above their head and grasping onto the opposite foot in order to stretch their hamstring and adductor muscles.

"what is this?" the blonde monotonously asks you, and despite not being able to see his facial expression, you just know that he's sporting his usual bitch face, complete with dead eyes and a slight frown. 

"well, tsukishima-kun," you started to tease. "this is called 'affection' _._ repeat after me, _affection._ "

" _disgusting_ ," the male below you scoffs but doesn't try to unlink your arms from around his neck, nor does he try shake you off of his back. you pout, hidden away from his view, but the surrounding males, stretching peacefully around you, laugh and internally coo over your expression.

"fine, i'll go away," you whine as you start to retreat your arms from around his neck; you start to detach yourself from him but you feel a hand gripping each of your own, pulling them down as you're suddenly pulled back to press against his back, your wrists now caged by his large hands parallel to his lower abdomen.

"did i say you can stop," he asks, although his tone is somewhat more of a command than a question. he lets go of your wrists, but you don't let the small movement of his thumbs brushing small, soft circles against your skin go unnoticed. "[do it again](https://imageproxy.ifunny.co/crop:x-20,resize:320x,crop:x800,quality:90x75/images/37cb094656fed9f1d849d50ad74b335e6119fde4fe44cc983a9e4a5676b2c78a_1.jpg), i don't want to stretch."

"you _have_ to stretch though. i'll give you a hug after you stretch properly," you told your _kouhai_ as you stand back up to your feet, your hands ruffling his hair lightly before you walk over to kiyoko and help her with managerial duties. 

behind you, tsukishima scoffs at your withdrawing figure and frowns for the rest of the stretch. 

while the team finishes their cool down, you and the raven-haired beauty pack up their belongings and tidy up the space that they used for the match, preparing it for the next team. 

ukai comes back after talking with the organizers of the competition. "the next teams are heading onto the court, so get off already!" 

one by one, they stand back up on their feet and help out with tidying up their side of the court. the third years ambush you with a group hug, surprising you from behind as you were grabbing some of the members' water bottles to store away in a respective gym bag. they release you after a few seconds, chatting briefly with you and each giving you a head pat after you told them to wipe their sweat off because they're starting to feel sticky against your own skin. 

"[la-name]-san," you hear yamaguchi softly calls out behind you. you turned around and see him walking towards you. "do you have water?"

"ah, i do," you opened your bag (which you forgot to place down and has been hanging on your shoulder, even when you back-hugged tsukishima) and reached around for your own water bottle, giving it to yamaguchi after popping the top off. he thanks you and takes a sip, gulping down a few mouthfuls of the liquid before handing it back to your with a grateful smile on his lips.

"thank you, [name]-san!" 

"thank you for your hard work, tadashi-kun!" you gave him a big smile. 

"ah..." he trails off, looking to the side as he scratches his cheek as a coping mechanism. "but i didn't really do anything for this matc—" 

"don't say that!" you scolded the first year. "you gave it your all to cheer for your teammates, and i think that's equal and just as needed, if not _more special,_ to a player inside the court!" the boy in front of you blushes heavily, the redness of his cheeks enhancing the visibility of his cute bespeckled freckles that blemish his skin; although it's considered a flaw or a feature that mar's one's skin, you thought that his freckles add onto the green-haired male's charm.

similar to how a dimple is, in fact, an abnormality on one's skin yet is regarded as an endearing trait, you thought of the same when it comes to freckles. and boy oh boy, you _loved_ yamaguchi's freckles. 

out of excitement, you lunged at the male in front of you and gave him a tight hug, unconsciously murmuring (and, ultimately, confessing) to him on your now not-so-secret fondness for the constellations of his skin. 

"[na- _name_ ] _-san??_ " he struggles to speak out against your tight embrace around his abdomen. 

"you promised to hug me after stretching, but look who you're hugging," you hear tsukishima drawl from behind you. reminiscent to how a penguin would waddle, you awkwardly shift your feet to move you and the male in your arms around, toddling like a... toddler. _gee, i wonder what the word 'toddling' references from!_

when you faced the behemoth of a first year, he's looking at you with a somewhat playful glare, but with your trained eyes, you see a hint a jealousy swimming in his orbs. so, like any sane being who knows what kind of personality the human version of a goddamn _lamp post_ has (complete with the same long, straight body and a bright yellow top), you tease him about it. 

"aww, is our little tsukishima-kun _jealous?_ " you smile evilly at him, craning your head up to look at his scowling face while still squeezing around yamaguchi's abdomen; he lets out a series of stammers, unsure of how or what to respond, but eventually deciding to forcibly separate your hands from his waist and turn around to face his childhood friend.

"it— it's not what it looks like, tsukki!" he frantically tries to explain to him.

"what are you panicking about?" the blonde asks monotonously, tilting his head slightly to his side. you take this as your cue to sneak off the crime scene, but before you manage to take three successful steps away from the duo...

"and what do _you_ think you're doing?" he hums nonchalantly, grasping onto the back of your upper tracksuit and forcibly halting you from moving away unnoticed. away from both of your sights, yamaguchi _actually_ sneaks away from you both. you sighed and faced the blonde with an embarrassed smile.

"going... to the... bathroom?" you asked with an unconfident tone; tsukishima smirks, amused to see you like this. 

"going to the bathroom... with the manager bag? that's currently _open_?" _oh shoot_ — you sneaked a glance to your left and confirm with your own eyes that, yes, stupid past-you had indeed left it open. _my water bottle's even hanging out!_ you berated to yourself as you clumsily shoved it back in, zipping your bag shut after.

tsukishima sighs jokingly, his tone suggestive of something alike to disappointment, "i can't believe _the_ [name]-senpai doesn't keep her promises." he shakes his head, clicking his tongue against his teeth to further prove his disapproval. "i expected a lot from you, senpai."

he turns around, but before he walks away, you jump up on his back and bear hug him from behind; your legs wrap around his slim waist and your arms similar to his neck. tsukishima, startled and unprepared of the sudden piggyback ride, clumsily hooks one of his arms under your right leg and grasps your left arm tightly with his own. 

"wha- _what do you think you're doing?_ " he panics, unsure of where to place his arms or what _part_ of you to hold onto because—

"tsukishima-kun," you started, highly amused at how he's acting. "is this, perhaps, the first time you gave someone a piggyback ride?"

"i'm not _giving_ you a piggyback ride or whatever this is, _you_ forcibly jumped on _my_ back—"

"i'll take that as a yes!" you spoke over him halfway through his excuse, which just sounded like a whole lot of _yes, i've never done this before, but i don't want to admit it so i'll just blame it to you!_ "i'm honored, tsukishima-kun! let's start with your first lesson of being a respectful mobile host by not grasping onto my arms _nor_ my ankles, _please_."

without a word, tsukishima loosens his grip from the mentioned body parts, and instead, hangs his arms by his sides. you jokingly clap at his progress, the edges of your palms brushing against his chest as you move your hands in front of it. 

"good job!" you cheered on him with all the enthusiasm a kindergarten teacher would have in her voice when cheering on her adorable, tiny students. "next up, hook your hands behind you, or grab underneath my thighs, whatever you prefer or is easier."

"how the _fuc_ —"

" _you can do it!_ " tsukishima groans loudly, and you feel the vibration come up from the back of his throat and travel towards your body. you gave him an amused chuckle before helping him out by muttering a step by step instruction by his ears, lifting one leg at a time so it's easier for him to hook his hands under your thighs. his slightly sweaty palms and his tight grip on your soft flesh give away his inexperience and fear of dropping you, but you hold on tightly and repeatedly reassure him that _no, i'm not gonna fall down, tsukishima._

without a choice (not that you gave him one in the first place), he walked in the gym while trying to ignore the obvious stares that you and him are getting because _wow, they're_ bold _for doing PDA in an environment like this_ —

_"what_ are the two of you doing _,"_ you hear ukai and sugawara ask from the right, their faces unamused but unwilling to spend the effort and energy to lecture the two of you because you both know better. you gave them a bullshit excuse and a closed-eye grin, then told your personal vehicle to continue moving.

everyone in the gym looks at the two of you in double takes, confirming at their second glance yes, a tiny girl is currently getting a piggyback ride by an unamused and reluctant giant. they can only look at the [sight ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/91/e5/11/91e5114fa072f43c1cdb8fc41b36cd19.jpg)of tsukishima scowling and complaining constantly at you from below while you gasp and hum appreciatively at the new perspective of the world this height gives you.

"hasn't it been five minutes already—"

" _shut up_ , i can't believe you've been seeing things _this_ way!" 

"what do you _mean?_ "

"woah, i can see past his head! i bet he's like six feet! _woah_ , that girl looks like a child from up here! woah, tobio-ku—"

" _you_ look like a child most of the time, senpai."

" _i know_ , so shut up and let me enjoy this moment!"

* * *

you head back with the team to the lobby, still on tsukishima's back; you all stop when you hear a familiar voice calling out to daichi. you craned you neck to the side and saw the same player who called out to him earlier before the match.

"ikejiri?" daichi steps just the slightest bit nearer to the male, calling out his name with a surprised tone and a similar, appropriate look on his face. you see the male rush up to daichi and place both of his hands on each side of your captain's arms before—

"win...!" he demands, clutching tightly onto daichi like he's his last resort. "win a ton of games! win... in our stead!!" even from your view, ikejiri's form is obviously shaking due to an overwhelming amount of emotion in the male. daichi stills for a short moment, taking in the demand of his former teammate, then takes his trembling hands off of him, pulling it away from his jacket.

"you got it." daichi grasps ikejiri's hands in a handshake. "we'll carry your will." he pauses, stilling as if he wasn't expecting daichi's response, then smiles widely. they exchange smiles, sending each other a final nod before daichi turns back around, the team following him, and your group carries on walking.

you stop by the line up directory in the lobby, seeing the teams that won with a corresponding red line that connects them to the next course, and seeing the teams who lost without a mark, untouched as if they were just left there, to stay where they are because, in reality, that's where they ended up. 

"about half of these..." daichi breaks the silence from the team's quiet gaze on the sight before you. "twenty three of these fifty five teams ended their journey in the first round." you scan past the numerous names of teams that represented their schools, then stopped as you saw the name of your team. _tokonami vs. karasuno: 0:2, 25 - 12 and 25 - 14._ right below it, an ominous and frightening display of scores catch your eye. _datekou vs. sakurashita_ : _2:0, 25 - 7 and 25 - 8._

single digits... not even nearing 10. _how scary._

"we're going to win the next one, too!" daichi declares to the team, his voice full and solid and determined despite your team's history with the winner of the group below yours. despite how the alarming scores of datekougyou's first match seem to mock and warn you, daichi remains strong and firm for the team, as a proper captain should for their team. 

influenced with their captain's resolute declaration, they are filled with determination, uniting their voices to reply the only fitting answer. 

" _osu!!_ " 

* * *

e x t r a ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

* * *

 **[intellectuals only 👅]** is now online

**[smol]**

we won our first match!!

our next match is a few hours away

(*＞ｖ＜)ゞ*゜+ 

**[galaxy brain]**

congrats on surviving the first match 

loser

**[smol]**

shut up loser 

(*＞ｖ＜)ゞ*゜+

where's kou-chan and keiji 

i wanna chat with theeeeem

i miss theeeeem

esp keiji

(*＞ｖ＜)ゞ*゜+

**[galaxy brain]**

tetsu~ are you okay? ♡

tetsu~ be safe! ♡

tetsu~ i love you! ♡

tetsu~ marry me! ♡

**[smol]**

tetsu~ shut up! ♡

(*＞ｖ＜)ゞ*゜+

**[galaxy brain]**

i'm hurt, kitten

first u give them hearts from earlier

then u cheat openly in front of me

and now u can't even

ask me those questions ^

i'm rlly hurt, [name]

●︿●

also add a honorific to akaashi-kun's name

**[smol]**

u act like i didn't send u a heart, captain

and no

i will not ( ￣＾￣)

he told me it's fine to not have an honorific attached

it's my absolute HONOR

(*＞ｖ＜)ゞ*゜+

**[galaxy brain]**

●︿●

**[smol]**

NOT THIS AGAIN

**[intergalactic brain]**

WE WOOOOOOOOOON!!

[NAME]-CHAN WE WON OUR FIRST MATCH!!

I DID A LOT OF SPIKES!!

I WAS AMAZING!! 

WASN'T I, AKAASHI???

**[intergalactic brain]**

AKAASHI'S GLARING AT ME

[NAME]-CHAN!!!

JWLP ME

HRLP MR

 **[big brain]**  
tattling to [name]-san isn't gonna do anything, bokuto-san

 **[big brain]**  
where are you, bokuto-san?

 **[big brain]**  
stop hiding, we still have to eat lunch 

**[intergalactic brain]**

u won't glare at me then??

 **[big brain]**  
don't be silly

**[galaxy brain]**

he's gonna scold him, bet

**[smol]**

bet

**[intergalactic brain]**

[NMAE]-CHA N HE'S GALRING AT ME AGIAN

HE'S SCARY

 **[big brain]**  
come back here

i'm not mad

**[galaxy brain]**

lolol

send pictures bokuto-san

i wanna see akaashi-san 

lolol

**[smol]**

kinda curious too...

**[intergalactic brain]**

[picture]

**[smol]**

ah

he looks like...

**[galaxy brain]**

... a **noh mask?***

**[smol]**

scary

akaashi is scary

but he's still pretty

(*＞ｖ＜)ゞ*゜+

**[intergalactic brain]**

HELP ME

FORGIVE ME AKAASHI

 **[big brain]**  
bokuto-san...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * noh mask reference is from this fukurodani drama cd! it's rlly hilarious and a great insight on what their characters are like!! i highly recommend watching them (*＞ｖ＜)ゞ*゜+


	9. 𝚗 𝚒 𝚗 𝚎 ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the team has successfully won their first match of interhigh! their next opponents are datekougyou, the same team who nearly caused asahi to quit and not return to the club on his final year at karasuno high. there's still time before the match, however, and you decide to go on a bathroom break. but surprise, surprise! because unfortunately for you, you're just starting to realize that bathrooms are dangerous in this universe, and maybe you should prepare to run into any players in the future.
> 
> especially the one with the tongue piercing.

the team returns to the same corner that they left their bags at, and you went to the restroom after you finally managed to let tsukishima to release you. yes, you read that right: in an odd turn of events, _you_ were the one who begged _him_ to let you down. 

without getting into detail, let's just say that the giant blonde had already won his second match for today. 

after you washed your hands thoroughly and dried them off with a paper towel (and _not_ using the hand dryer because while it does dry off your hands, it spreads _more_ germs! _the more you know_ ~) before throwing it in the bin near the exit and walked out of the restroom, taking a few steps into the lobby only to stop and be greeted by—

"iwaizumi-san!" you greeted the older male, surprised but thankful that at least it wasn't a certain teammate and captain of his that you've ran into. you quickly bowed your head down to greet him, and your hear him dismiss the act with a wave of his hand.

"i take it that you and your team will have your first match for the tournament soon?" you confirmed with him with a small smile.

"in a few minutes, yeah," he affirms. "we're against oomisaki high school."

the aobajousai male volleyball club were exempted from the first round, mostly because their team is consistently placed as top two for the past two years, always losing to shiratorizawa academy during the finals; whether it was the interhigh preliminaries, the spring high-miyagi prefecture representative playoffs, or even the prefecture sporting competition, they've only ever been _second_. 

"well, i know and believe that you and your team will do amazing," you encouraged the spiky haired male, the small smile on your lips growing wider. you head naturally tilts slightly to your right, and he's gifted with the sight of you smiling widely up at him after being told that he—and the team, but his mind conveniently forgets that part—will do amazing for their first match. 

he stills in front you before turning his head slightly to the side, hiding the lower half of his face with his large hands. he's feigning a small, short coughing fit to hide the secretly growing flush of his cheeks. 

he returns to his normal expression after a few seconds, placing his hands back by his sides as he thanks you for your kind words. "i hate to admit it, but i have to thank that idiot for being a good captain." 

"i guess he has a way for words?"

"not only that," he groans. "he's really good at adjusting to everyone's needs or preferences," the seijou ace explained, sighing as he remembers all the times he's seen his childhood friend fake his smiles and laughter for other people. "it's annoying."

"somehow i don't doubt that." _i totally see where he's getting._ you've witnessed how he acts around certain people multiple times just from the volleyball classroom alone. _he's definitely a people pleaser. "_ it's definitely annoying. _"_

"makes me wanna bash my fist at the back of his head."

"don't," you protested. "you'll hurt your hand! we both know that he has a thick skull, your efforts won't go through."

"yeah, you're right," he nods. "i need a new method on how to deal with him." 

"how about sending a spike at his head instead?" at your suggestion, iwaizumi sighs and tells you that he's done that multiple times already, especially during their after school practices. "then..." you hummed as you think of a new way of dealing with oikawa tooru. "right in his face?"

"he'd get angry and sulk or complain about it for a while," he answers right away, sighing once again at how hopeless the situation seems to be. he's the childhood friend and longtime teammate of his, so surely he's done every type of punch or kick or way to deal with oikawa, right? it seems like a loss if iwaizumi doesn't figure out a way to deal with the chocolate-haired pretty boy, and to some extent, you feel like you're losing, too. "there's just no getting to that guy."

and you _hate_ losing.

"then... _how about you use me?_ " startled, iwaizumi turns his head down quickly to look at your own, tilted slightly with your lip (unknowingly) jutting out slightly. your eyes are wide with your sudden thinking, but from his perspective, they're glimmering with the help of the lobby's bright overhead lights illuminating not only your eyes, but also your entire face. summer has barely started, but the gym's air conditioning is blasted to their full power, making the air inside a nice cool temperature; it still makes you feel cold, however, so you keep your tracksuit jacket on to keep yourself warm, but the skin of your cheeks glow a soft red, allowing your visuals to look more youthful, accompanied with today's special, the twin pigtails.

unfortunately for him, his neck cramps up due to the whiplash from how fast he turned his head, and he groans at the pain. his right arm comes up behind his neck, his long fingers massaging the aching part easily, and his palm pushes gently into the side of his neck to increase the blood flow and to relieve the pain a little bit. 

"a-are you okay?" you asked the seijou ace worriedly. "are you comfortable turning your head sideways? what about upwards or downards? can you spot if there's any knots in your neck? are you—"

"i'm fine," he groans out, stretching his neck muscles side-to-side shortly before returning his posture straight. "i was just... surprised at how you... you know..." he struggles to keep eye contact with you, breaking it off when he meets your wide orbs and looks away immediately, then repeats the whole process for a few more seconds, giving you time to realize your mistake. 

"i worded that wrong, didn't i?"

"n-no," iwaizumi coughs awkwardly, clearing his throat before continuing. "it was just, the way you said it?" he blushes at the memory of how you basically just told him to _use you_ while looking somewhat helpless. he's reminded of the visuals of a little kitten that had taken an interest in a human, and is looking up at them with wide eyes while their tail is swishing gently behind them. "nevermind, tell me your plan."

"it's simple! just use me as a blackmail for him." the older male before you blinks once, twice, then hums as he thinks about your proposal. 

"i think it'll work. he's stupid and obsessed enough to fall for it."

"i..." you trailed off, hesitating to continue your sentence, but you do because it's the truth. "i hate how i can't deny your word choice there..." you sigh, and he chuckles at your comment, smiling gently at you.

"well... he _does_ talk about you often," he informs you nonchalantly. "if there exists some test where i had to retell the story of how the two of you met, i'd score a hundred and twenty, _easy_. it could also be about that time where you first embarrassed him in front of everyone right after you both met, that one was really funny." it's now _your_ turn to hide your face before the male in front of you, craning your neck sideways and covering the lower half of your face with your small hands by cupping them over your nose.

just remembering the time your first conversation with him in front of everyone make you feel embarrassed and sent goosebumps trailing across your skin like wildfire. it was the first time you had seen him without his tracksuit, and his hair was in a different hairstyle, so you thought he was a different person and not the same guy who had been teaching the kids every now and then.

it took oikawa four or five lessons and a little over two months to learn everyone's names, both student and parent or guardian, while observing you from afar because you were the only female who didn't come up to him after all those times. 

it took him five sessions over to learn how to successfully excuse himself from the onslaught of conversations after lesson because even oikawa cannot charm himself out of a group of pestering curious, gossiping, unable-to-keep-their-noses-out-of-anyone-else's-businesses, group of mothers. 

it also took him the same amount of time to finally talk to you, not bothering to introduce himself because he thought you already knew who he was and was just shy to initiate conversation. that was his mistake, because your first words to him will forever be memorable for everyone involved.

" _hey,_ " he calls out, jogging up slightly behind you as you make your way towards the exit, holding onto phil's tiny ~~babie~~ hands while he excitedly tells you the story of how he managed to properly set for today's lesson. you both turn around while your hands are still linked, and you see him smiling down at you two with his hands on his hips. " _i just wanted to say that phil did really well for today! he does amazing always, i'm proud of—_ "

" _i'm sorry, but..._ " you hesitated to open your mouth to respond to him, but you couldn't help but ask, " _who are you?_ "

you can still remember the dramatic gasps and the harsh glares from other people who overheard your conversation; it does seem disrespectful to not know or recognize the teacher who does hands-on lessons for the students, and you couldn't excuse yourself except for the fact that, well, you don't really focus on him, even though he's the famous captain-setter of a powerhouse volleyball team.

in your defense, why would focus your attention to him when there's a whole phil in front of you, smiling widely and being a complete cutie? seeing him struggle with the volleyball ball, witnessing him interact with other kids his age and laugh adorably, you just _have_ to keep your attention on him at all time! you were too busy taking pictures and videos and sending it to your family to realize that 'hey, there's a famous athlete who are teaching these kids! and he's only a year older than you!'. 

another wave of goosebumps travel across your entire body at that memory. _well_ that _was an embarrassing moment for both of us._

"he also told me when you openly rejected to be partners with him for serving practice one time, and how you—"

"okay, _please stop talking—_ "

"i'm _praising_ you for embarrassing shittykawa so no, i'm not going to stop talking."

"i'm also embarrassed about it!" you admitted to the male, lightly stomping your foot and as you acted like a ~~brat~~ little girl who's throwing a tantrum. it _definitely_ fits your current aesthetic as you're sporting the cute and childish twin pigtails. _very nice._

"anyway, back to punishing oikawa-san," you returned to looking as normally as you could, despite the ever-present blush on your cheeks setting your skin aflame. "i think you should just threaten him that you're gonna tell me about whatever he did."

"it's nice to have that option, i guess," he nods. "but i can't, uh, just _use_ you like that. i feel like it's cheating."

"well, us victims should protect each other in some way or another," you joked. you mutter and complain under your breath about how for a guy that's attractive and popular, oikawa is really childish and spiteful, but iwaizumi hears you and chuckles. 

when the sejiou captain had first told the team ace about your existence and how you kept ignoring or dismissing oikawa, he initially thought you were just some fangirl who played hard to get to catch his attention; he should know because he personally has seen girls in their school (and outside, of course, because it seems as if the entire miyagi prefecture is infatuated with oikawa tooru and his stupid, boyish charms) who do this sort of thing.

he wondered, however, how come you had caught his best friend's eye because normally, he'd spot something like this easily. oikawa knows when and where a fake persona is being used: he should know because he himself is great at fake persona itself. "it takes one to know one," as the quote suggests.

but as the captain-setter kept talking more and more about you, especially for the past month where the two of you had been talking on an almost constant everyday basis, it surprised him to recognize in his stories of how _similar_ you both are in regards to oikawa: despite your harsh treatment towards the idiot, you both enjoy being with him and you both care for him, even though you both don't show it often. whether or not you are genuine, he still isn't 120% sure, but even with the limited amount of time since you've been introduced to one another, he feels like he's correct in his presumption.

you haven't shown it yet, given the situation and circumstances that you all have right now, but oikawa has told him stories that made him realize that you _do_ think of him and treat him as a friend, and it's one of the main reasons why he's the so-called "playboy of seijou" is so fixated on one girl.

iwaizumi feels as if his assumptions about you, based on oikawa's stories about you and after witnessing a few times where you'd interact with his childhood friend, he feels as if you're defying his expectations by being better than what he'd thought. _pleasantly surprised_ seems like an understatement and an insult at this point. he won't admit it to anyone, not that he thinks that what his initial thoughts about you were important for anyone to know, but he feels as if he's in denial that _yes_ , you're actually real and that you're better than what he thought. 

there's only a few things in this world that has made him feel this way, and your existence certainly wasn't a part of that very short list until just recently. it doesn't even seem like you've forced your name to be written into that list; you didn't forcibly engrave your existence into his own, but rather, it feels as if your arrival in his life had already been written in the stars above. 

maybe, oikawa isn't the only one who's fixated on you anymore. 

"well, we can't all win always, [lastname]-san. in this case, we can always just bully him, we're allowed to." he smiles at you, his light chuckle harmonizing with your own giggles. the perks of a childhood best friend is having the unwritten, unofficial official privilege of being able to roast, bully and hit them without any consequences. no doubt, you'd say something similar to other people when talking about your own childhood friends, kuroo and kenma. 

"you can call me [name]. [lastname] sounds like you're talking to my parents..." you trail off your words to start a new sentence, but you get interrupted by the ringing of your own phone, buzzing periodically in your pocket as a familiar tune blasts through its speakers and begs for your attention; you take it out of the front pockets of your tracksuit jacket and look at the caller name ~~for once~~ : it's daichi.

iwaizumi notices quickly and excuses himself politely so you can answer. "ah, take the call. i have to go back, anyway."

you turn your head up to see him looking back towards the courts, most likely searching for his team—if he can look amidst the large number of bodies that move past the area between the lobby and the courts. but given that his team colors are two of the most brightest colors in comparison to other team colors in this gym, he figures that it'll be an easy task locating his teammates.

if all fails, he can always call up oikawa and deceive him that one of his fangirls (or you, now that you've been introduced to each other) wants to meet up with him so that he'll come to iwaizumi and not the other way around.

"then, um, can i...?" iwaizumi looks back at you, briefly giving you a confused hum and a tilt of his head when you don't continue your sentence after a second later. "get your number, i mean." his eyes widen for a fracture of a second, but stops himself, blinking owlishly and wordlessly takes his phone out from his pockets and hands it out to you quickly. your phone stops ringing, going silent for a solid three seconds before starting up again, reminding you that _daichi's calling for the second time, and i better not make it a third time or else they'll make a page announcement for me soon._

you don't think that you're even exaggerating about that last part happening, because it has happened before... unfortunately. 

you input your number quickly, setting your contact id as just your name and hand it back to the male in front of you. you bowed quickly and shoot him a smile, "thanks, iwaizumi-san! do your best for the match!" 

"thanks, [name]-san. i'll be going." he gives you a nod before turning around and walking off towards the courts; you remain in the lobby area, moving towards the walls to lean against it while you slide the green call button to—

" _where are you?_ " daichi immediately asks you, his tone a mixture of accusing and worried and something akin to disappointed, like the feeling you get when your manager is most likely _not realizing the fact that she's been away from over fifteen minutes for just a 'short bathroom break'._

the only rational reasons that he could think as to why you're spending _that_ amount of time for a 'short bathroom break' is that you're either being 'kidnapped' by other people (yes, that is a rational explanation that daichi has thought: it's perfectly logical and reasonable because it's _you_ ), or it's because the women's bathroom is full. however... this is a _male_ volleyball team competition, so statistically, there should be more males then females in this gym, which means the second rational reason he thought of was most likely to be untrue. 

and ultimately, the statistics for his first reason would most likely to be closer to a one than a zero, so it's most likely to be true. _most likely..._ daichi sighs. it's also _most likely_ that he's gonna lecture you once you return to the team, who are ~~most likely~~ _definitely_ not listening and panicking around him at this very moment. 

"i'm sorry, i'm coming over now," you sighed as you pushed yourself off the wall. you hear daichi let out one syllable before being overspoken by what you recognize to be nishinoya, tanaka, and sugawara's voices asking you their own questions simultaneously, each person overlapping the other and together, they sound like what japanese sounds like for non-fluent speakers: it's unintelligible, and there's still familiar phrases or words that you can hear and understand despite the rest of the 'words sounding like utter nonsense.

you can also distinctively hear the second year chaotic duo desperately call out your name as if you were being sacrificed in a ritual right in front of them and they're unable to do anything but watch you get be sacrificed, but hey, that's just how they normally call out to you.

"quit it you guys," you hear daichi scold them, his voice slightly muffled and toned down since the trio continues to talk over one another in an attempt to talk to you. "wait, don't take my ph—" you hear a light, rhythmic thudding against the floor, which might be someone running off with daichi's phone. _poor captain... i can't wait to see ennoshita deal with ryuu and yuu and the rest of the first years next year as the new captain, though. i'm excited._

"[name]-san, where are you right now?" you hear kageyama ask loudly, making you flinch your phone away from your ear for a second before returning it close. "do you see oikawa-san near you? do you see him at all? please tell us right away if you see him—"

"[name]-san!! where are youuuu!!" you hear hinata cry out, interrupting kageyama's rapid questioning. despite being muffled, you can still distinguish nishinoya and tanaka's voices in the background. "don't get kidnapped for the second time!"

"i'm not getting kidnapped—" you cut off when you hear kageyama yell at hinata for interrupting him, and you hear someone running off again with the phone, accompanied with quiet, muffled screams of protests from the freak duo and other members who you couldn't identify through their voices because _they're so noisy, what's happening—_

"[name]-chan, come back soon!" the second year ~~bench~~ trio calls out from the background in unison. you assume that there's another fight for the phone because you hear a mixture of voices, and despite not understanding any word from the other end of the call, you're certain that they're fighting for it.

"[name]-chan!" sugawara calls out to you, breathing somewhat heavily after speaking your name. his breaths travel through the speaker and you can't help but try to suppress the shivers that his panting has caused you... over the phone. _his power! his impact! ~~the one and only, sugawara koushi!~~_ "come back quickly! asahi says that he has stomach pains!"

"ah, no, i don't!" you hear the ace protest from the background. sugawara growls at him, probably covering his hand on the mic of daichi's phone since you hear his voice being muffled and the volume of his voice grows small. the vice captain tells asahi to stop exposing his plan and continues to berate him as if you couldn't hear what he had to say.

" _quiet,_ then— uh, yamaguchi's having stomach pains!" (" _it's bad to lie, suga-senpai!" "shut up, it'll get [name]-chan here quicker!")_

" _you know i can_ hear _you all, right?_ "

" _give me my phone back, you rascals!_ "

"i haven't even been gone for ten minutes, why are you all— " you get interrupted by a mass of screams and growls and unintelligible complaints from everyone. you can't even distinguish any specific voice, it's just all come to one, jumbled mess of a synchronized call. you sigh, "who am i even talking to at this point?" 

"oho,who is this cutie? _"_ you hear someone ask from behind you; you're startled because you hear it so clearly and loudly amidst the chaos from the phone that's quite literally right next to your ear, so you turn around quickly to see a player behind you, smiling down at you with an aura that you're not really vibing with. "if you want someone to talk to you, i'm always free, just for you," he winks.

standing around the same height as sugawara, maybe a couple centimetres taller; he's sporting an undercut with flashy, spiky blonde hair with a small section at the very front falling over his forehead. it's like nishinoya's hair with the small tuft at the front, but the person in front of you has his whole hair bleached to a golden orange-ish blonde. he has a golden yellow tracksuit with white details, but you don't recognize him nor his team from his uniform, but you can recognize his fit and athletic build through his clothes. 

he notices that you're staring at him, and he grins openly at you, revealing his tongue with a silver studded piercing in the front middle of it. 

"who was that?! _and_ you've been gone for almost twenty minutes, if you're counting up to now!" you both ignore the voice from your phone, although his is a conscious decision whilst yours is more like subconscious ignoring tanaka because holy shit, _this person has a tongue piercing._

"[name]-chan, _please_ come back soon—" you place your arm with the phone back down to your side, and you can barely hear tanaka as you continue to focus on the male in front of you, still smiling down at you.

"uhm, hi," you blinked for a few times before finally gathering your thoughts. _scary. i don't like his aura. i want out, now._ "i'm sorry, but i gotta go—" you bolted out of the lobby, leaving him in your dust.

"wait i just wanna—" you don't hear the rest of his sentence, running faster than you've ever in the past recent years. behind you, he reads the kanji characters on the back of your tracksuit jacket and smirks in realization. _karasuno high school volleyball club, huh..._

you returned to see the team still in the corner. as per usual, your chaotic line (sugawara, nishinoya and tanaka) dramatically burst into tears the moment they saw you running towards them with a huge smile on your face, calling out their names in a lovingly manner while waving one arm up in the air to catch their attention. their sights became rosy hued, the corners of their vision have a large lens flare that spans diagonally across their view, and you _bet_ that every single thing that had light touch upon their surface turned into a sparkling, glittering, shimmering mess.

yeah, _as if_ that happened.

you come back to the team after jogging from the lobby, sweating and panting slightly. you stopped in front of them, crouching down and holding yourself upright by placing a hand on your knees and thighs while you exhaled and inhaled heavily to catch your breath. your eyes scanned quickly for everyone standing before you, and it seems like everyone's still here.

"have you guys eaten yet?" you asked the team, standing back up and placing your right hand on your hip as the other falls limp to your side. "i've packed a few sandwiches and some sliced fruit if you guys want some."

"you got some explaining to do, [name]." daichi surprises you by speaking from behind you. _whoops. eyes, you had_ one _job!_

"i'm sorry, and i will explain... but we should eat first. you'll get sick if you guys ate within an hour of the next match." the team stays silent for a second before the ace breaks it.

"yeah, we should eat soon so we have time to rest," asahi comments from your left, and the team looks at him, gives him and nod and starts to grab their lunchboxes out of their bags. 

"this isn't over," daichi warns you as he steps to your right, squinting his eyes at you for a brief moment before loudly ordering the team, "alright, everyone! let's eat a light lunch, okay?" 

the team goes to their bags and to take out their packed lunch; you do the same, taking out a separate lunchbox that's has some chopped fruit and some homemade snacks that you made for the team. while looking for your thermos, you and the rest of the team overhear some players passing by, loudly commenting and talking about their match earlier.

"man, karasuno was awesome. that number ten shorty surprised me the most!"

"oh, definitely!"

"i mean, those quicks took some real skill." the two conversing players' voices grow smaller as they walk further away from you, and you turn to your right to see hinata with his eyes and mouth wide open. his eyes are glistening and sparkling with joy and a newfound liking for people talking about him. kageyama, on the other side of you and still rummaging through his bags, looks at his fellow first year with squinted eyes.

"wh-what!" hinata stammers at the blank look on kageyama's face, the blueberry's silence makes the tangerine panic slightly. "there's nothing wrong with being happy about it, okay! nobody's ever said that sorta stuff about me before!" at his confession, kageyama smirks evilly, but you miss his expression because you were busy zipping your bag closed and placing your thermos beside the two-story building of lunchboxes on the floor, near where sugawara is sitting.

"i didn't say anything," kageyama monotonously answers back, even though he has an evil smirk on his lips. "it's good that you're getting noticed, after all. opponents will keep their eyes on you, and the warier they are, the more they'll come into your own." kageyama finishes with a complete evil expression on his face.

"ooh...!" hinata hesitantly exclaimed, placing his hand under his chin whilst rubbing it with his thumb, as if stroking an invisible beard. "i don't really get it, but either way, your smile's scary." kageyama still for a second, his face turning expressionless before lifting his right arm and placing his hand directly on hinata's head, yanking on his hair while maintaining a blank, hollow look.

chuckling lightly, you gently pull on kageyama's arm to pull away and stop his hand from his fellow first year's locks. "alright, alright, you can let go now, tobio-kun." at the same time, you hear coach from behind you say _yup, you got it_ to kageyama; you and hinata turn around to see him with daichi on his right, looking at a piece of paper which probably has the match schedules printed.

"for now, we'll create an atmosphere of 'that short number ten is amazing!'. the greater it gets, the more hinata shines, and the more it will blind the opposing blockers." the rest of the team creeps closer to the coach, hearing what he has to say. "as for the starting lineup for the second round, we'll go with the same we used in the first. 

"the next match starts at one thirty, so don't relax just yet! in the meantime, eat lightly. don't go filling your stomach, got it?"

"we're about to eat, coach!" you informed the older male. "please eat lunch as well!" he looks over to you and gives you a nod and a slight grin before turning back around to talk to daichi about something that you couldn't hear. they separate shortly after, and daichi loudly announces to the team that they're now allowed to eat lunch.

you all agree to eat here, and you stay seated with sugawara to your right the second year duo to your left. the other members separate into their own little groups as well, but they don't stray far from where you all sit.

you're a notoriously slow eater, opting to chew your food thoroughly due to a near choking incident from your childhood: you were eating quickly because you wanted to get back at kuroo on tekken 5, too busy cursing him and his abusive power on always selecting devil jin as his character when playing against you, when you swallowed a large piece of food and nearly choked.

since then, you hated the feeling of large pieces of food when swallowing, so you developed a habit of chewing your food a lot. and, due to that habit, you spent a lot of time chewing, meaning you finish eating slower than usual. people can eat under ten minutes (which honestly baffles you as to how they don't choke), but twenty minutes for you isn't enough to eat at an comfortable pace; to combat this, you packed a smaller, lighter lunch than usual, so you save time to take care of the players. it's not like you're spending those calories by playing, either. 

you finish eating earlier than the rest of them. you opened your second lunchbox, holding it in one hand and stretching your arm far to offer everyone near some slices of apple, oranges and a huge pile of grapes. it gets emptied out soon, and you popped the lid back on to return it back inside your bag. you grabbed your thermos and started drinking your tea while waiting for everyone else to finish their lunches. 

"we're waiting, [name]," sugawara sings teasingly beside you. you glance at him through the corner of your eye, and you see him looking at you while tidying his lunchbox. the smirk on his lips grows wider when you don't look away from him, and the two of you have an impromptu staring contest, neither of you willing to blink nor look away from each other.

a minute has passed and neither the two of you have blinked, but sugawara is close to shutting his eyes, having it moistened with tears after one escaped after thirty seconds or so has passed. from the other side of you, you hear nishinoya and tanaka sigh at the sight of you and sugawara staring at each other.

"could you guys not flirt in front of us?" tanaka groans, the tone of his voice annoyed but teasing at the same time.

"yeah, [name]," nishinoya scolds you playfully. "i thought we had something special." he gets up from his seat and crouches beside you, squatting lowly and pushing his face close to you; when he sees that you don't react, he takes matters into his own hands as he cups them around his mouth, tilting his head up slightly to place his mouth at a distance from your left eye, and that traitor _blows_ lightly, forcibly making you lose the game. 

sugawara, with tears streaming down both sides of his cheeks, cheers loudly when you blink from nishinoya's sabotage. he jumps up from his seat and clenches both of his hands into a fist, waving it in the air excitedly as he boasts that he won the staring contest.

"yuu!" you growled, turning your head to his direction and pushing him to his back with a single finger on his chest. his fall is accompanied by his loud laughter, and he holds his hands in front of his chest, his palms open and facing towards you as he block your tiny clenched fists from hitting him. "' _i thought we had something special_ ', yeah, well _i_ thought you were my friend!"

"suga-san was crying, _i_ _had to help him!_ "

"yeah, [name]-chan!" sugawara and tanaka both chime in at the same time. "it was unfair!"

"traitors," you huffed. "you're all traitors!" nishinoya laughs loudly once again, rolling over to his side and sitting upright when you quit trying to get past his defensive hands and decide to just sit back with your arms crossed in front of your chest. "just you wait, just you all wait..."

you try your best to ignore them, rolling your eyes at their attempts to break your fake-anger facade at them. after a while, you're unable to suppress the growing smile on your face, especially since they're childishly contorting their faces in these really silly expressions, unafraid to show you their unmodel like faces and proudly shoving their meme worthy looks in front of you. _why is it that i'm so weak when it comes to staying mad for more than five minutes?_

at the sight of you smiling, the three of them cheer loudly, creating another small but nevertheless explosive chaos amidst the slightly calm atmosphere of the lobby. daichi scolds the three of you from behind sugawara, and you all look at each other before laughing uncontrollably.

* * *

half an hour passed by, and you finally allow hinata and kageyama to practice outside since there's still time before their second match of the day. sugawara follows them after a few minutes telling the group that he forgot to tell them something, not elaborating on his excuse.

knowing him, he's going to ask the duo to help asahi defeat his fears of having his spikes being shut down. if asahi continues to get blocked for his second match with datekougyou, it's entirely possible that he'd be more scared of spiking than he was on their first match last march.

inside, you wait with the rest of the team while sitting on the benches. to distract them from their thoughts, you told them that you ran into iwaizumi from the bathroom and saw a scary volleyball player with a tongue piercing.

"why were you gone for such a long time, though?" tanaka asks. "what could you _possibly_ have talked with another team's ace whom you just met on the same day? huh, _[name]-chan_?"

"you know you're not being intimidating right now, right?" you rhetorically ask the shaved-headed male, your voice flat and monotonous to accompany your blank and expressionless look. "you look stupid, ryuu."

at your exchange, the group laughs and jokes about tanaka failing to scare you with his signature intimidating glare. it seems to lighten up their moods a bit, but only for a short while; asahi excuses himself to gather his thoughts for a few minutes, and you exchange concerned looks with everyone, but let him be. you're worried about him, no doubt about that, but you knew that it was a situation where it's best to just let the third year think and convince for himself that he's able to face his fears; plus you've already said thoughts and encouragements to the karasuno ace before he even came back to the club. 

when there's five minutes left before the scheduled return of both teams on the court, you went out with daichi and nishinoya to look for asahi; you find him not that far from the lobby, sitting on a bench by the far side of the venue that has these large windows facing the outside garden. 

"asahi," daichi calls out to him. "it's about time we got going." nishinoya looks at the ace with an unreadable expression, unable to keep his eyes away from the anxious ace of karasuno. asahi closes his eyes, takes in a deep sigh, and releases his breathe along with his nervousness. he stands up from the bench, then opens his eyes to look at daichi, nishinoya and you.

"right."

* * *

"alriiight!" hinata screams out in excitement. "we're gonna win in the second round tooo..." he leans over his shoulder and notices aone who just passed by along with the rest of the datekouyou team.

it's difficult not to be intimidated by the mere sight of them as they're all quite tall with a great build; it's also hard to ignore how impressive it is that they have the highest blocking rate in the whole miyagi prefecture, contributing largely to their nickname the "iron wall". and when you thought that only the players are intimidating, their cheering squad by the stands echo and radiate an intense atmosphere all throughout the gym.

you see the white haired giant cast a side glance down at hinata, who lets out a small, scared shriek before quickly running off to hide behind tanaka.

aone returns his gaze in front of him, but on the way he accidentally locks eyes with you: slightly startled, you keep your gaze on him as well, unsure of what to do but also not wanting to break away. it's not like he's glaring at you or anything either, so you're even more confused on what to do in this situation; fortunately, he blinks when his teammate, whom you recalled to be futakuchi kenji, the same guy from earlier who told the team to 'be prepared for it this time as well', nudges his elbow into his taller teammate's side lightly; aone looks away from you to glance at his teammate, then continued his gaze forward as they settle on the opposite side of the court.

like during the first match, the entire court is filled with datekougyou's loud cheers.

"having a lot of members sure makes a team seem strong," tanaka comments looking at their cheering section by the stands and sees a couple players up at the very front, cheering loudly while wearing their tracksuits. "all those people lined up like that and cheering honestly makes me jealous."

on the other side of the court, the team huddles and does their team mantra, but it surprises all of you at just how intense it is, their voices deep and loud while answering and their feet stomps down at the same time as their hands. "datekou... fight!!" "YEAAH!!"

you and the team can only stay still and stare while they do their warm up drills, starting with laps around the court. somehow, it reminds you of rotc training with drill instructors yelling at cadets to chant louder and do it faster, like a military cadence except there's no hint of any musical element, just pure _yelling._

 _"_ one, two! _"_

_"keep it up!!"_

"one, two!"

" _i can't hear you!!_ "

" _ONE, TWO!!_ "

for this match, you'll be on the bench while kiyoko stays up on the stands. you've both agreed on alternating shifts as the manager on the bench for this year as kiyoko intended for you to gain experience as the future sole manager of the club; however, you've discussed about the possibility of recruiting another person as a manager so you can focus on being a medic for the team in the future. you're seriously hoping that another person would apply, because you don't think you can possibly juggle and handle these two positions at the same time for next year. _it's impossible. i'll have to scout the first years at their classrooms one by one if i have to._

the referee blows a whistle, calling for both captains of each team to exchange handshakes and determine who's going first. 

"it feels like... the entire court is filled with a 'datekou atmosphere'... " takeda loudly comments beside you and ukai. the consistent chanting from the rival's cheering squad on the stands rings in your ears and forcibly fills your mind with their presence as well. it's especially difficult when you're not doing or _thinking_ of anything, and you worry about how they'll perform on the court later on in the match, but daichi intercepts your thoughts by jogging back into your line of sight.

"we'll be receiving first, and we're on this side of the court," he announces to the three of you. the referee whistles for the start of the official warm up, and you hurriedly push on a ball cart to assist ukai and takeda on the team's warm up for receives.

it's easy to get absorbed in the atmosphere that datekougyou forces upon in the gym, and your thoughts are amplified with the oncoming, uncontrollable concerns and worries for the second and third years of the team. witnessing the process and the aftermath of the match against the same team nearly three months ago, you can't help but remember, your mind replaying everything that has happened since then. even if you consciously try to push that thought away, you're swallowed by the rival's loud, continuous cheering from the stands. but just then—

"rolling...." you don't notice nishinoya start up on his dive-and-roll receive, but you get pulled out of your thoughts when he loudly—and proudly—finishes his yell, lunging deeply to his right as he receives the ball before quickly rolling over back to his feet. "THUNDEEER AGAAIIIN!"

everyone stops and still after seeing nishinoya; even the players from datekou turn around to see what he's yelling about, but by the time a few seconds have passed, the rest of karasuno are only either laughing at him or is bewildered at his actions.

"noya-san, nice receive!" tanaka laughs freely. "ya gotta admit that's amazing... except for the name."

"the name's amazing too, dammit!!" behind the libero, you see tsukishima and yamaguchi try to muffle their laughter with their hands covering their mouths by the endlines to your right; daichi and sugawara, who were previously on the opposite end of the sidelines, jog up to second year with exasperated expressions.

"hey wait hold on nishinoya!" asahi panics on the side. "you'll make daichi angry again...!"

"it's nishinoya again," both the captain and the vice captain groan loudly. "that was a regular dig just now, wasn't it!"

"was that any different from the last time?" _no, tobio-kun. that's why he yelled with an 'again' at the end_ —

"teach me that 'again' toooo!!" hinata rushes up to nishinoya, his cheeks flushed red with a familiar look of pure amazement. nishinoya turns around and sees the team bunched up close, and he takes this as an opportunity to say something to everyone.

"allright!" he starts, his voice loud and unwavering. his hands are resting on his hips, and he's standing tall and proud, complete with a huge smile on his face and his chin lifted high. "there's nothing to worry about!! you guys just keep looking straight ahead!! 

" _i will protect your backs_." the team goes silent after his last statement, shocked at his words and his act overall, but tanaka, hinata and kageyama all look visibly impressed with him. you can't help but be proud of him as well, smiling freely as hinata rushing up in front of the libero, exclaiming that he wants to say something like that too.

"how cool is that...!" takeda gasps from beside you. "the atmosphere around them has returned to normal...!" it's amazing how even though it's intimidating being surrounded by taller, bigger people, he seems to be brimming with a comforting, easy aura that screams ' _you can count on me!'_ for the team to rely on. 

not only are liberos specialized in total defense, their principal role in a team is energizing them from the back of the court, watching their backs and making them feel at ease. _he is the very definition of a guardian deity._

"yuu!" you called out to him. he turns around and sees you smiling at him with a gentle look in your eyes. "you were really cool just then!"he doesn't react for a second, and he tries to control and calm down the fiery blush on his cheek, but he can't stop himself from giving you a large smile, his eyes forming a crescent moon-like shape, and a peace sign because he isn't sure of what to reply to your open compliment to him. ukai, beside you, nods at the sight of the usual chaotic karasuno male volleyball team with a tiny smile.

" _he really is an excellent libero._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact!! terushima belongs to class 7. so if his school system is like the rest, that means he's intelligent... and it annoys me somewhat that he's canonically an intelligent character,, ugh lolol
> 
> i feel like i went off on a tangent with the iwaizumi-oikawa bit, and i wanna blame it on how my mind since it's only been filled with my studies and i kinda forgot how to write a fanfic while in the middle of writing,, big SIGH


	10. 𝚝 𝚎 𝚗 ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

**june 2, sunday**

the referee whistles: the karasuno high school vs. detekougyou high school match officially begins.

"based on what i saw in the first round, they'll use a powerful serve in the first play," sugawara informs loudly to the team, trying to combat the overwhelming, echoing presence of the rival's cheering squad from above. "datekou's opening pattern is all about rattling their opponent with serves... and breaking their spirit with steady blocks. that hasn't changed much since march."

with his last line, you recall the previous match vividly: memories of the team's shocked, disheartened, and crestfallen faces appear in your mind, and your chest hurts just from remembering it. to have all of your attempts on scoring be blocked consistently and consecutively, and to know that the other team scored because of _you..._ it can really break a player's spirit and determination to play the rest of the match, and in asahi's case, it even broke his will to play more volleyball.

the fact that asahi is continuing to play volleyball despite of what happened last march... not a lot of people can make the same decision he did, and that makes him a really brave and commendable person, especially when he's known as the coward or softie of the team. it takes lot of courage and trust in oneself to keep going, and for that, you respect him so much more. 

ukai instructs the team to keep their receives high for the first play of the match. _it'll give them time to think, act, and stay calm. the iron wall is definitely strong... but maybe with this, they'll able to overcome it and have a chance to win._

"smash through that 'iron wall'! _karasuno, fight!_ "

" _OSU!_ "

datekou's captain starts off the match with a strong serve; daichi receives and bumps it to kageyama. aone is in front of the first year setter on the other side of the net, and futakuchi quickly jumps in front of hinata. aone follows, and together they jump to block hinata, but he spikes almost vertically down, earning the first point of the match to karasuno. 

"nice course, hinata!" tanaka compliments and congratulates the first year from behind him. _i hope they find a way to avoid the iron wall block, or at least just aone-san._

"whaa! but i thought the blocker had a one-step delay!" takeda comments in awe next to you. "isn't that what 'read blocking' means...? jumping after seeing where the toss goes..."

you confirm the club advisor's words with a nod. "the schools we've faced until now used a lot of 'commit blocking', where they jumped on a prediction on where the toss would go, but datekou is all about read blocking."

"jumping after seeing where the toss will go means that they won't get caught by our decoy so easily," ukai comments beside takeda. "with that, the blockers are a bit delayed, but player seven closes that gap in an instant... he's fast, on top of being huge." 

_aone takanobu. 192 cm, middle blocker, main pillar of datekougyou's famous "iron wall", specializes in read blocking._

_no doubt, he's a_ scary _opponent._

"th-that's frightening."

kageyama serves for the next rally. it's intense as usual, but he sends it straight to their libero. you spot kageyama's typical angry and frustrated expression as he notices his mistake, and the sight of it helps ease the tension growing inside of you with every rally they play. _once he masters his control over his serves, it'll all be over for everyone else. now_ he _will be the scary opponent..._

nishinoya digs aone's spike, keeping the ball in play. you hear the players watching from the stands gasp and comment on his play, and you can't help but feel a little bit proud of him. it's nishinoya, afterall.

"sorry, cover! it's all yours, ryu!!"

"back!" asahi calls for a toss, and tanaka sends it high up for asahi to spike from the back row, but he gets blocked by a set of three blockers from datekou. _it's here, the famous iron wall of datekou has appeared before us once again._

"no helping it now, keep going!" ukai instructs to the team loudly from the bench. 

"i'm sorry, asahi-san! i'll get the next one!" you hear nishinoya apologizing loudly to the third year ace, even from the bench. 

"i'll leave that to you, but i'm going to score with the next one!" asahi responds with a wide smile and a pat on nishinoya's shoulder. both of them turn to the net, where futakuchi comments something that you didn't hear. promptly after, his captain bonks him on the head with a clenched fist, presumably scolding his kouhai for whatever he said.

the next rally ends with a net touch from aone during his block against tanaka. _close call... but the fact that it was a fast attack and they responded quickly... they're really a formidable opponent._

asahi earns the next point for karasuno with a block out: a ball knocked out of bounds by a block. 03 - 01, karasuno leads with two points ahead. while the team has a small lead, every rally feels like they're are just barely dodging a shut-out from datekou.

what's difficult about playing against datekou is that blocking is not only a defense, but also an offense: they can easily, instantaneously score a point that their opponent thought was theirs. it's almost like you're letting the opposite team score your points for you. 

no doubt, the strongest offense and the strongest defense is a _block_.

and with datekou as an opponent, a team that specializes in read blocking, with players who are tall and fast and agile, and a reputation that's known to have the highest blocking rate in the entire prefecture, it's easy to see how and why it's difficult to keep your spirits up while playing against them. they're playing to break the opponent's spirit while boosting their players' morale.

"dammit..." you notice hinata grimacing at his blocked spike, earning a point for datekougyou. kageyama comes up behind him, "don't worry about it! we'll get the next one. next time, we will definitely score." _kageyama looks confident._ the sight of them makes you smile for the first time since this match started. _things will be different this time._

too bad for datekougyou, they're not that easy to break.

not anymore.

* * *

24 - 22: it's now matchpoint for karasuno in the second set. if they score one more point, they'll win the whole match.

hinata just got switched out with nishinoya, so the oddball quick strike isn't possible... if datekougyou manages to grab two points for a deuce while hinata's out, it could mean trouble for the team. _no, it'll be fine. asahi's there._

tsukishima's spike is received by datekou's #13, and they try to score but tanaka receives it. kageyama tosses for asahi— but he gets blocked by the rival's captain. it's wide open for the ball to just drop... ! 

in the blink of an eye, nishinoya's saving the ball back in the air, and asahi calls for another toss, but with how kageyama's practically behind the ace, he gets crowded by the net, face to face with the iron wall. they slam the ball away from asahi's graps, and he falls to the ground along with the ball. 

and then— everything seemed like in slow motion, and you could clearly see everyone's reactions.

aone's intense expression right after he pushes the ball away from asahi's hands to let it fall.

asahi's small gasp as he falls down and realizes that the ball is falling.

nishinoya's eyes widening slightly in the realization that he won't be able to reach the ball in time with his hands: slowly, it drops every few centimenters just beside him, and just before it falls to the floor...

he side lunges deeply with his left foot extended out, the side of his shoes connecting with the ball, saving it instantaneously. 

time catches up and returns to normal as the crowd gasps and screams with excitement and anticipation for what's about to come next. you can hear takeda gasp and ukai say something beside you, but it's almost like your ears are muffled and blocked; your eyes can only focus on nishinoya, and you can't think of anything, your head empty with no thoughts except....

**_holy shit._**

 _"ONE MORE TIME!!"_ you hear sugawara, hinata and nishinoya yell out loudly. 

it seems like his own body moved before his brain could think of a solution: a true 'reflex'. _i knew he was talented but..._ you see the team move quickly, and nishinoya's on his feet already, preparing for a possible block follow. _yuu-kun's insane, he has to be_. 

kageyama moves to the front, readying for his next toss. he seems to hesitate a bit, thinking of who to toss it to next. he's already jumped two times, he's already spiked two times. he tried two times, is asahi going to try again? 

"one more time!" sugawara answers for you. " _one more time!_ "

" _until we finish this!_ " asahi yells out, and kageyama tosses high and a bit away from the net: asahi's specialty toss. _koushi-senpai must've told tobio-kun about it._

takeda lets out a confused sound, but ukai tells him that it's fine. "this is the best choice right now, sensei."

you hear the rest of the third years cheer on for the ace as he jumps once more and cocks his right arm back, swinging it high and fast to connect his palm with the ball: it shoots off against aone's hands, and the ball flies to the side, teetering on the top edge of the net before falling onto datekougyou's side of the court. 

the referee whistles, and the karasuno's score gets flipped on the score board. they won.

" _AALRIIIIIGHT!_ " the team erupts in cheers. 

end of the match. 2 - 0. winner: _karasuno high school_.

_they won...!_

both teams line up at the endline to bow and greet each other for the game, then they move closer to the net to exchange hands: you see aone reach out for hinata, and the two shake hands as the rest of the players move back. _looks like hinata gained a new friend._

"um... ukai-kun...." takeda starts beside you, and together with the mentioned male, you turned your head to look at the club advisor. "about that last toss, when you said 'this is the best choice right now'... what did you mean?"

"when your receives have been thrown into disarray so you can't attack as you'd like to, the final hit will revolve around the lefthand ace position, no matter what. in the 'final stronghold' of that attack, so to speak, you want to have felt that 'you wrenched a point away from the blockers with your own hand'."

"i see..." takeda nods. "so the next play is connected to your self-confidence..."

"paticularly for azumane, who seems to have suffered a real blow from datekou before." ukai and takeda drop a sweat at the reminder. 

"but," you start off, your gaze now fixed at the team walking back from the net with their smiles wide and their eyes sparkling. "it's alright now. even though shouyou-kun wasn't there, asahi-senpai was able to fight against his fear of being blocked out without hesitation."

"also, having a ball tossed especially for you is a mark of a pride for a spiker," ukai adds. "for someone who is still woking to achieve absolute trust with the setter, that is the best evidence of their progress."

"you really did it asahi-san!!" nishinoya greets the ace loudly. beside him, hinata jumps up and down repeatedly in excitement, going on about how datekou's blocks were like this and that in his own sound-effects language, _again._

"speak japanese," you hear tsukishima comment from the side. 

"i may be an ace, but..." the team turns to look at asahi with his hands clenched at his sides. "you guys are heroes." they're silent for a few seconds and their faces are still with a shocked expression, but they all smile afterwards. 

_it's nice, the sight of their smiles are nice._

 _"[name]-chan!!"_ the team jogs up to you: hinata's and nishinoya's arms are swinging around in the air as they jump up high in the air, kageyama and tsukishima's expressions are their usual annoyed faces as they jog beside the two, and the rest of the team move quickly with happiness. asahi reaches you before they do, stopping right in front of you.

"we did it," asahi smiles down at you.

you're reminded of when you came to asahi's classroom to convince him on coming back to the club: you ran into hinata and kageyama, who were both there with the same mission as you.

honestly, you were grateful for their presence and determination as they were able to talk to asahi and convince him better than you could. they all share the same dream and the same fear as a volleyball player, and that's something you couldn't feel nor experience as a manager or a medic, even though you've been surrounded by people who play volleyball since you were a child. 

there were things that you couldn't do as someone who just watches from the sidelines, but it allows for a new perspective to be seen. as asahi had blamed himself for their loss last time, and nishinoya blamed _himself_ for their loss, you were there as someone from the outside, seeing things on a different angle. 

_"no matter how many times you were blocked, you never spiked half-heartedly, and throughout the whole game, you always gave it your all. so, please..."_ _you tightened your grip on the third year once again, slightly burying your face to his stomach._

"i'll continue my best with the team for this year too!" 

_please, let them smile and be happy always._

* * *

but just as the team won against a scary team...

"gah! another one...!" hinata gasps and shivers, his hands tightly holding onto the railing before him.

"that makes four consecutive service aces..." asahi mutters loudly. the whole team can only watch in silence, hyponotized and entranced with the match from the court below.

... here comes a _terrifying_ opponent.

 _"way to go, tooru! push 'em back, one more!"_ the crowd cheers. they're almost a matchpoint with only 3 more points to go... and their rival needs to score 14 more points if they want a deuce for the second set. 

that score gap is terrifying. _oikawa tooru is terrifying._

"it goes without saying that he's got power, but his control's vicious, too..." ukai points out from the other side of the row above you. you're seated between kageyama and sugawara on the bottom row, along with the rest of the third year players and tanaka to your left. hinata and nishinoya are standing near the rails, and the rest are seated in the row behind you. 

"my arm would fall off if i was at the receiving end of his serves," you mindlessly comment out loud. behind to your left, tsukishima mumbles something about your arm easily detaching from your shoulder like some sort of figurine, and you turn around to clap back at him that _if you stood behind a lamp post, it'd be able to cover your entire body, easy._

 _"_ quiet, senpai. _"_

 _"_ sorry, hotaru. _"_ tsukishima glares at you for using the wrong name, and you childishly stick your tongue out at him in retaliation. you return your gaze to the court for a brief second before looking at your seatmate as he takes note of something out loud.

"his serve is certainly frightening, but we know absolutely nothing of oikawa's skill as a 'setter'," sugawara comments. despite his alarming words, you can't help but notice how fluffy his hair looks right now. _i wanna play with his hair..._ no, _stop it._

"what about your practice match against them?" ukai asks.

"he only switched in as a pinch server at the tail end of the third set," daichi answers with a slight turn of his body since he's seated in front of the coach. "i heard from coach irahata that a second year setter had been used in his place at that time."

the team returns to being silent as you all watch the match below. you get up from your seat to go near the rails as well, wanting to see how he plays closer. 

"y'know, i think a setter is like a conductor of an orchestra," ukai reflects. "even if it's the same piece of music and the same musicians, if you switch conductors..." from the court, oikawa tosses to iwaizumi, who spikes it perfectly. "...the 'sound' will change."

_that toss seems so smooth and natural for iwaizumi-san to hit so easily._

just then, you notice oikawa locking eyes with you as he falls down from his jump and— did he just _... wink at me?_ his feet returns to the ground and he moves near his teammates, his mouth moving animatedly to presumably compliment them for earning a point for the team. 

"...what incredibly smooth teamwork," sugawara notes from behind you.

_what incredibly sharp eyes_ , you mused to yourself. _how the fuck did he notice me so easily? and_ that _fast?_

"oikawa-san and iwaizumi-san have apparently been together since their club team in elementary school," kageyama speaks up next to the third year setter. "you could say that they're perfectly in sync." 

"i don't think it was a matter of the second year setter's level being too low in the practice match. he's in seijou, after all," ukai tells his observation for the team. "it just feels like that oikawa guy is so familiar with the 'seijou' team that he can draw out their power to its fullest extent, i guess."

it reminds you of how he interacts with the kids at the volleyball classroom whenever he teaches. the word _attentive_ doesn't really cut it with how much detail he's taking note off with each and every student he has. he takes special care to treat them equally yet so differently all the while, and he's careful with every move and with evey word he says, as well. 

he really does bring out the best out of everyone. 

" _push 'em back, push 'em back, seijou! way to go, way to go, seijou!_ "

you return back to your seat as they end another rally with another point to their score. you let out a huge sigh that you didn't realize you were holding, and you see kageyama open his mouth from your right, but he stops himself as hinata and nishinoya steal away all of the team's attention.

"the grand king is so cool!! i wanna have a match with him already!!" 

"yeah! ya think he'll target me with his serves?! i wanna receive one!" 

"that's some confidence," ukai mumbles, but even from where you're seated, you could hear his comment. you can't help but giggle and coo at the sight of the two males leaning deeply against the rail in excitement. 

"ah! look, shouyou! it's a tv camera!!"

"eh?! tv?!"

"c'mon now!" below, you hear a middle-aged man scolding them lightly for their noise. "you mid... elementary schoolers, i guess? quiet down, a bit." _more like he roasted them lightly, but it still has a slight char._

"elem... _sorry,_ " they both monotonously apologize with blank faces. the team laughs, and you're all silent once again after the exchange. not long after the referee whistles, and it's officially the end of the match. 2 - 0. winner: _aobajousai high school,_ the next opponent.

"we're heading back!" you grabbed hold of your bag strap by your shoulder, tightening it out of reflex as you think about the possibilities of the match tomorrow against them. _seems like he really did improve his serve. even from the practice match, it's obvious that he's a dangerous threat. i'll have to look up more information later..._

deep in your thoughts, you follow the team from behind, and you don't notice the constant buzzing of your phone in your pocket nor the familiar mop of brown hair by the corner of you eyes. 

by the time you were aware of how much distance you had between you and the backs of your teammates in front of you, a hand claps on your mouth and you were being dragged behind you. 

"hey— wait a sec— _not this shit again!_ " 

"can you, for once, _not_ drag or kidnap me??" you grumbled, struggling to keep up with his pace as one of your arms is caged in by his own, _again_. "and slow down, i can't keep up with you!"

"it's because you're too short." you can't see his face, especially since you can't even see past his shoulder, but you're certain that fucker is _smirking_ as he replies. 

"gee, it's nice to know that you're aware of that fact. how thoughtful of you." sincerely, from the very bottom of your heart, you hope that he's able to detect even just a _hint_ of the sarcasm in your sentence. 

"thanks, [name]-chan~!" _this bastard!!_ you let out a sigh, deciding to give up on resisting his words and actions and just let him do whatever he plans to do to get it over with, fast. you have zero (0) doubt that the team isn't panicking right now if they still haven't noticed your absence from them.

at this point, you won't be surprised if they've already decided to implant a gsp tracking device inside you in the future just so that they'll never have to ask, call or interrogate you about your whereabouts ever again. 

"where are we going, anyway? a little heads up would've been nice, but knowing you..."

"i did give a heads up!" he barks from above, his tone slightly whiny and high pitched. "i called you earlier, didn't i?" you blink once, twice before realizing that _oh... yeah. he did._

_"i just wanted to know if you'd like to meet up later at the gymnasium?"_

_"why... would i do that?" you asked hesitantly, unsure of where this is going._

_"i want to give you something!" he says with a smile. not that you could see him or anything, but with how often he's calling you (maybe you should put a different ring tone specifically for him...) you know how he's reacting behind the phone._

_"i'm not sure if i can meet up with you, o—" you stopped yourself before blurting out his name in the presence of your team._

oikawa turns his head to look over his shoulder; his eyes lock straight at your own and he stops walking, causing you to bump into his back with his sudden halt.

"you forgot, didn't you?" he asks blankly. you could only look away from him in response, feigning innocence and deliberately ignoring his sigh of disappointment with your giveaway silence. he continues on walking, pullling you through the somewhat crowded hallways with a strange, still atmosphere between you two. _what does he want to give me, anyway? and_ why _does he want to give me something?_

 _"_ you're thinking what and why i wanna give you something, right? _"_

you gasp dramatically, "how did you know?!" 

"it's obvious, [name]-chan!"

" _it was supposed to be sarcastic you little-_ "

"don't worry about it!" he laughs freely, his laughter ringing and floating in the air. "i know for a fact that you'll _love_ what i'll be giving you!" you look up at the back of his head with squinted eyes, as if it'll help you see what he meant by his words or gain a mysterious superpower that'll allow you to look through his head to check if he's telling the truth or not. 

"how certain are you? because _i_ know for a fact that i don't enjoy or love anything that you do, like right now—"

"didn't i already tell you to not worry about it?"

"i am worrying about it!" 

" _why are you worrying about it?!_ " he complains. "just trust me!" he sharply turns to a corner, making you stumble on your feet as he walks a tiny bit faster. you both return to being silent as you powerwalk through the hallways (and trying your best to ignore the stares because _hello why is a six foot aobajousai player who looks like their captain dragging a poor girl with him??_ ). after a few more steps forward, you recognize the familiar lobby you're in currently and you look over to the direction he's leading you towards.

"why are we by the courts??" 

"to get my bag, clearly," he says like it's the most obvious thing in the world. _well sorry, your highness. for all i know you could've been dragging me straight to my death—_

 _"_ oikawa-san!! _"_ you hear a female yell out. you turn to look at the direction of the voice and _oh my god it's a whole ass tv crew._ oikawa takes notice of them, smoothly and swiftly switching from trapping your arm to holding it and interlocking your fingers together as he approaches them from the other side of the lobby.

i _really am walking to my death._

"oika... t-tooru, no!" you try to pull him in an attempt to slow him down, but due to the size difference between the two of you, he's easily able to just pull you with him despite all of your effort to stop this man from pulling whatever bullshit stunt he wants to now. "please don't do what i think you're gonna do—"

"hiya!" oikawa greets the female reporter with a wide smile, and you quickly move behind him, his large frame easily hiding yours. you try to pull your hand away but that fucker keeps tightening his hold on you, squeezing even tighter as some sort of warning or signal whenever you attempt to break free. he didn't even bat an eye when you called him by his name. _wow_.

"oh, sorry to interrupt you, oikawa-san! may we excuse you for a moment for an interview?" 

_"_ oh, absolutely! _"_ he sounds more cheerful and fake, if that's possible. _geez, he sounds faker than tetsu and daichi-senpai did when they first exchanged greetings_. wait a minute... _surely he has enough logic to_ not _include you in the interview, right?_ "but, i'm kind of in a rush to get back to my team, so is it possible to have a short interview?" _it's my chance escape!_

"rest assured, it'll just be a few questions, oikawa-san!" she briefly gives him a run down of the interview questions that she plans to ask him. oikawa, being the people pleaser that he is, audibly agrees to her questions and even praises her and the team; behind him, you struggle to not make any faces because there's still other players in this lobby that can see you, but _my god is this man so annoying. just start the interview alrea—_

 _"_ ah,[name]-chan, can you stand over there for a moment? _"_ you still behind him, unable to comprehend how easy-going and relaxed he was when he asked you that question as if he didn't just mention a female name, let alone expose your presence right in front of a journalist, much less an entire tv crew that's just a few feet before him. his head quickly turns, and the smirk on his lips grow wider each second at the sight of your glaring, dumb-founded and scared face. "it'll be quick, i promise!" 

_i'm done for._

"ara~" she asks, high pitched and cheery and perfect to use as a voice over a gossiping mother who just heard about the new neighborhood rumor from her fellow gossiping mother friend group. "who's this, oikawa-san?" 

"she's a very good friend of mine," he laughs freely, moving the hand that you're interlocked with to the side to guide you over to the nearest wall. he tightens his grip on yours one last time just before he lets go, his eyes intense and staring deeply into yours as he slowly turns around to face the team. he walks away animatedly, mentioning for the team to follow him as he tells them _i know just the perfect spot as a background!_

as they walk away, oikawa turns his head to look at you, tucking his chin to his shoulder slightly as he smirks down at you. he lifts up his chin, opens his mouth and holds out his right arm behind him parallel to the floor, his palm open and facing you. 

although he mouths just one word, just one _syllable_ , it's enough to have you throw a childish tantrum at him as he laughs at you, just in time after someone from the crew says a joke about volleyball. 

_oh, that fucker did_ not _just command me like a puppy._

" ** _stay_**." 

"then, we'll get going! thank you for interviewing me!" he bows quickly at them, exchanging goodbyes with the tv crew before grabbing one of your hands to interlock with his once again. after he deems to have a reasonable distance away from them, he increases his speed to the point where you're forced to jog just to keep up with his stride. "waah, iwa-chan's gonna kill me!"

"i would too, because you're you."

"don't sound so disappointed in me!" he whines at you, looking back for a second before returning his gaze in front. "i told iwa-chan i'll be gone for only five minutes, but because of that interview—"

" _i mean, you agreed to be interviewed—_ "

"and you walk slow—"

"i'm sorry i don't have long legs like you giant asshole!"

"should i just carry you then?" he turns his head enough to lock eyes with you, but his shoulder covers the lower half of his face from your view from below. there's a tiny glint in his eyes: a knowing, twinkling, indicative sparkle that meant that someone is planning something. 

"touch me with one more finger other than your hand right now and i will scream."

"does this mean i can keep holding hands with you?" _wait—_ "thanks, [name]-chan!" _damn, i just walked myself on that one._ he stops walking and opens his mouth to say something, but the loud ringing of your phone intervenes. immediately, you take it out and answer, knowing already that it's going to be either daichi or sugawara.

" _where have you gone off, now?_ " you hear the caller sigh and grumble. "tomorrow, i'm absolutely not letting you out of my sight, _ever._ "

"it's my turn in the stands for tomorrow's match, daichi-senpai."

"aww, so you're not going to be on the bench, [name]-chan?" oikawa asks, inserting himself in to your conversation. you look up to see him fully turned around, and you can clearly see his face adorning a small pout. "i'll work harder on defeating your team if you're at the bench, [name]-chan!"

"then i'm definitely going up the stands!"

" _[name]._ " you jump slightly at the intensity of how daichi called out your name. he's never called your name like that, it was almost like an order... or a command... you feel like a police officer just reprimanded you with just your name. _daichi-senpai is scary._ "just tell me who you're with this time."

"i'm with oika—"

"hi, captain!" oikawa answers for you. with a sigh, you tapped the loudspeaker option and move your phone nearer to him. "sorry for stealing [name]-chan, i just wanted to give her something~" 

" _OIKAWA?!_ "

" _what is this bastard planning?_ "

" _[name]-chan, run away!_ "

"i'll return her soon! well then, we'll get going~" he ends the call for you, stealing the phone from your free hand and keeping it hostage as he starts to walk again. "let's go, [name]-chan, before iwa-chan gets too angry at us!"

"by _us_ you mean _you_ , right?"

"that's mean of you!" he whines once more. "before your captain called, i was gonna say that i told the tv crew to not film your face. i doubt you'd like to be film without your permission, much less have it revealed to the public on tv..."

"t-thanks, oikawa..." you feel his hand tighten his hold on yours again, but this time, it feels gentle and warm. you direct your attention to the sight of your interlocked hands: the size of his palm is enough to nearly swallow your entire fist, and seeing how long his fingers are compared to yours makes you blush in a mix of slight embarassment and amazement. _his fingertips are almost reaching my wrists..._

you can't deny that it feels nice to have his hand in yours. although it feels a bit alien to you since, well, _this is the first time the two of you held hands,_ it also feels somewhat comforting. the rose-tinted, background-blurring and sudden-flower-appearing-filter description isn't really accurate in this situation.

instead, it's almost like you're being blanketed with a thick layer of warmth that is oikawa tooru on a cold winter's night; the cozy, fuzzy, and homey feel of having a warm cup of hot chocolate on one hand as the other holds tightly, yet ever so delicately, in his, along with the almost hypnotic visuals of the gentle swaying fire encased in the hearth in front of you, providing a warm, orange glow in the space amongst the darkness that surround you two. 

_warm_. he feels warm. 

"maybe you're not so bad after all—"

"i know, _i know_ , you're welcome! don't go falling for me deeper, okay?~"

" _why did i even bother._ "

* * *

"it's so quiet..."

"they played two matches, after all. well, both of them were straight-set wins, so it could've been worse."

for the ride home, you sat next to kiyoko, having been the last one to enter the bus. the third year beauty looks outside through the window as takeda drives back to school, and you're busy replying to your ever-so active group chats. _what is with tokyo boys and constant texting?_

**[intergalactic brain]**

[name]-chan!! can we do a voice call?? 

pleaaaaase!!

**[smol]**

sorry kou-chan 

i'm in the ride home

and i don't wanna wake them up from their sleep :((

**[intergalactic brain]**

●︿●

**[smol]**

I'M SORRY ╥﹏╥

then

wanna do a voice call when i get home??

**[intergalactic brain]**

(*＞ｖ＜)ゞ*゜+

**[big brain]**

[name]-san, you shouldn't give in so easily to bokuto-san

he'll get spoiled by you

he's already spoiled enough.

**[intergalactic brain]**

AKAASHI YOU'RE SO MEAN

you're not joining the voice call later

hmmph

**[big brain]**

neither are you, bokuto-san.

we have a meeting, remember?

**[intergalactic brain]**

HAAH???

WE DO????

AKAASHI, CANCEL THAT MEETING!! STAT!!

**[smol]**

uhm

did,, kou-chan just use stat lolol

**[big brain]**

he's watching way too many videos of that medical show you recommended

**[smol]**

wait

kou-chan, have you been watching them

WITHOUT ME??

╥﹏╥

**[intergalactic brain]**

i have NOT

THAT'S NOT TRUE

AKAASHI STOP SLANDERING ME

**[big brain]**

i didn't say anything like that

**[intergalactic brain]**

[NAME] HE'S BULLYING ME

**[big brain]**

talk about over exaggerating...

ah, nekoma's match just ended

**[smol]**

this late??

**[big brain]**

yeah. i've heard their matches are pretty long.

**[intergalactic brain]**

i'm excited to play more matches tomorro!!

I WANNA BEAT KUROO-SAN IN A MATCH!!!

**[big brain]**

they're not in our seed block, unfotunately.

either way, we still have the summer training camp. 

**[smol]**

oh yeaah

mkae sure to send me the dates of when ur free for the summer!!

**[intergalactic brain]**

ARE WE HAVING A MOVIE WEEK AGAIN??

LET'S GOOOOOO!!

(*＞ｖ＜)ゞ*゜+

**[big brain]**

calm down

last time we did that, you just slept...

and you ignored us while we were doing our summer homewok as well

**[intergalactic brain]**

summer is all about fun

why do we have to do homework 

( ￣＾￣)

**[big brain]**

we're still students, bokuto-san

**[intergalactic brain]**

SCREW SCHOOL

I HATE STUDIES

NO TO HOMEWORK

**[big brain]**

i won't help you if you keep being like that

**[intergalactic brain]**

it's okay!!

i have [name] to help me!!

**[smol]**

kou-chan...

i won't help u too if you keep being like that

education is stil important!!

**[intergalactic brain]**

●︿●

**[big brain]**

bokuto-san...

**[intergalactic brain]**

●︿●

**[big brain]**

no.

**[intergalactic brain]**

●︿●

**[smol]**

don't do this

╥﹏╥

**[intergalactic brain]**

●︿●

from the very front, takeda softly yells out, "we're nearing our destination soon!"

"well, we should probaby wake everyone up soon..." kiyoko turns to look at you, and you both exchange a nod, no words needed to be said between the two of you. as funny as it would be to have her wake up the first years, you were much closer and familiar to them, so it made sense for you to do that task instead. 

the phone in your hands buzzes again, and you quickly type out a message that you'll talk to them later.

**[galaxy brain]**

wow

i'm SO tired

we have 2more matches tomo ugh

**[smol]**

we're arriving soon!!

text y'all later!!

（♥￫ｏ￩♥）

**[galaxy brain]**

but i just got back??

???

●︿●

●︿●

**[big brain]**

not another one...

the bus slowly rolls to a stop. takeda and ukai both unbuckle their seatbelts and stand up to get off the bus, informing you that they'll first greet everyone of your arrival as they do. you get up from your seat and walk towards the back of the bus to where most of the first and second years are. _maybe i should start with the giants first?_ you asked yourself as you reached the middle row, holding onto the headrest of the seat before yamaguchi and tsukishima.

"tadashi-kun..." you call out softly, placing your hand on his shoulder and gently rubbing your thumb over in circles. when he doesn't respond with a few more calls of his name, you move your hand to the top of his head, softly scratching his scalp downwards until it reaches the back of his head. 

he moves his head slightly to the side, and slowly he leans all the way towards you. you catch him before he falls, and you can't help but coo at his soft, gentle sleeping expression as you cradle him on the front your waist. 

"tadashi-kun," you try again, and this time he opens his eyes and meets yours from above. he sits up immediately, apologizing to you with a deep blush all over his face. "it's fine," you reassure him. "we've arrived. can you wake up tsukishima for me?" he gives you a nod and you walk over to the seats behind them: kageyama and hinata. 

aah... _is tobio a heavy sleeper?_ tentatively, you reach over to touch his arm, poking him gently to check his responsiveness. you proceed to call him, but you wake up hinata instead.

"ah, are we here?" he asks with a slight slur, rubbing his eyes with a clenched fist.

"don't do that, it's bad fo your eyes," you reach over to grab his hands, wrapping your own around his wrists and pulling it away from his face.

"ah-AH i'm sorry!! i won't do it again!!" dismissing his apology, you lean back and drop his wrists at his lap.

"shut up, you're so noisy," you both hear kageyama grumble, turning his head away from hinata and towards you, blinking slowly.

"tobio, we're here~ please wake up."

"two more minutes..." you sigh at him snuggling against his seat, deciding to let him sleep for a little longer. you move to the seats behind them, the very back row of the bus: on the right corner, there's the huge pile of bags that's stacked on top of each other, on the seats and even on the floor; the middle seat is occupied by ennoshita, and on the opposite corner are nishinoya and tanaka, sleeping and leaning against one another.

with one gentle push and call of his name, you wake up ennoshita pretty easily. "can you wake up those two?"

"sure," he nods before turning to his right and—

"OWWW!" "AH THAT HURTS!" _i didn't expect him to just push them,_ you drop a sweat at the scene before you. _well, it was kinda funny to see them fall over like a bunch of dominoes._

"we've arrived. wake up already and come help carry the bags, will you?"

"[name]-chan, don't think i haven't noticed how differently you treat us from the first years!" tanaka blankly scolds you. nishinoya beside him mirror his blank expression, slightly glaring at you with the tiniest pout of his lips.

"i don't know what you're talking about~" you smile at them, interlocking your fingers together behind you, feigning an innocent look.

"where's my 'ryuu-kun, wake up~' moment, huh?!" he mimicks your voice with a soft yet high pitched voice. 

"yeah, [name]! i deserved to get my 'yuu~ we're here~' moment after that awesome save i did earlier!" nishinoya pouts at you. "at least wake us with like you did last year!"

"i am _not_ waking you two up with a kiss on the cheek ever again!"

"so instead you wake us up by slamming our heads together?!"

"but i didn't lay a single finger on you guys," you told them as you picked up a two bags from the opposite corner. ennoshita, smiling quietly at your exchange with the two, turns his head to his side with an evil smirk.

"you thought it was her, but it was me! ~~DIO!~~ " 

"ENNOSHITA, YOU BASTARD!" you ignore the loud mess behind you as you walked away from the scene, a bag on each of your shoulders as you carefully sidestepped your way through the aisle to place them at the front seats for an easy grab. when you return, the three of them are grabbing bags as well, and you move to one of the seats to let them pass. 

"wake up kageyama already!" nishinoya barks at you. you playfully roll yours eyes at him, but move towards the first year anyway. 

"he won't wake up," hinata deadpans at you. "i tried calling out to him, pushing him and everything, but he just tells me i'm annoying and then he goes back to sleep! wake up already, tiredyama!"

"can you get up even if he's still seated?" hinata answers by slowly lifting his legs to stand in his seat before jumping over kageyama and landing in front of you. "uh, okay. i'll go wake him up—"

"i'm already awake," kageyama grumbles, and you both turn to look at him. "i couldn't go back to sleep with his annoying—" hinata runs off the bus with a screech before he could finish his sentence.

"tobio," you lightly scold him, sliding a hand down to wrap around his wrists before bringing it up close to you. wordlessly, he stands up and follows you out of the bus—and grabbing his bag along the way—, letting you lead him towards the courtyard.

"the volleyball club's on television~" one of the teachers yell out from the faculty office window.

"ON TV?!" tanaka, nishinoya and hinata echo in unison, running in sync towards the room. "please excuse us!!" along with kageyama, you follow them quickly to find everyone inside already, huddled together standing before the television from the wall.

"—now then, next up is block e, but we got off to a rocky start on our end."

"oooh! they're covering it! on tv!" the second year duo yell out in excitement and awe.

"it's just the local news, isn't it?" tsukishima rhetorically asks the two, his face blank and the tone of his voice dull of any pitch or intonations. (" _shut up! tv is tv!_ ")

"beating niiyama tech of last year's best four, wakuyaminami high school advances to the third round..." the reporter continues.

"wakunan's one of the ones coach told us about..." tanaka notes out loud. "so they won against a top-tier school, huh."

"—meanwhile, the 'champion' shiratorizawa high school, with it's 'superace' ushijima wakatoshi-kun, had its first match in block h. with a twenty five, ten, first set and twenty five, six, second set against ougaminami high school, they easily set the pace of the entire game and, with the overwhelming difference in results, showed us the dignity of a champion." 

_so that's ushijima wakatoshi,_ you nod to yourself as the screen displays a close up shot of the said player. _he looks really strong. no wonder phil doesn't shut up about him sometimes._

"did they say... twenty five, six....?" asahi asks, his eyes wide with surprise and slight fear. your brain, having been distracted by his visuals first, catches up with the mentioned scores of his team as asahi repeats it. _scary. miyagi is full of scary players._

"will the champions guarantee themselves a ticket to the nationals this year as well, or will a team who can stop them appear?! keep your eyes open! continuing on, we shift our attention to block a." 

"that's the gymnasium we were in today!!" hinata excitedly exclaims, and a few gasp in surprise as well. 

"without a doubt, the most noteworthy is oikawa tooru-kun, captain of aobajousai high school's team!" _uh oh._ "with good looks and a ton of female fans, he's a player with both popularity and skill. but careful, ladies! we spotted him with a female who asked to be not filmed, and it seems like oikawa-kun is very close with her!"

_oh god._ you could already feel a few pairs of eyes staring at you. you turn your head sideways towards the blank wall, away from the group and slowly shift your feet to move ever so slowly away. _must... escape..._

"and tomorrow, the one who will be challenging aobajousai and defeated datekougyou, which seemed a shoe-in for the best eight, in a straight-set win, is the veteran karasuno high school team." excitedly, you turn to look at the tv, but the screen shows oikawa instead of the team, and you could feel the slow, collective disappointment from everyone. 

"we asked him his thoughts on karasuno high school, who he'll be facing tomorrow in the third round."

"they're a good team! i'd really like to face and break them with everything i have! we're expecting some fiece fighting tomorrow, as well!" _he sounds so fake and cheery_ , you cried in your head. _i bet he already has a plan..._

the final video they showed is a one second clip of oikawa holding hands with a girl as they walk away from the cameras; she has twin pigtails, is at the same height as his shoulders, and a black traksuit jacket with the back blurred out... all telltale features for only one (1) female for today, in this very room.

now, you could _definitely_ feel the everyone's eyes on you. 

"[name]..."

"we're expecting some fierce fighting tomorow, as well! we'd like to wish you good luck! now then, next is..."

"th... they showed a quick scene of your match in the beginning, though?! you all did a wonder job?!" the teacher tries to lighten the atmosphere, but his efforts end in vain.

"yeah, and a scene of [name] with the enemy..." the second year duo glares at you from the other end of the group. 

"thank you, sensei," daichi smiles at the teacher. "alright. well then, _let's do it._ "

"do _what?!_ "

"we-we're just having a meeting!!" takeda quickly reassures the elderly man, holding his hands up in front of him like he's surrendering to the police. quickly, he rounds up the team (" _don't mind what you saw on tv!_ " " _but take-chan! the_ enemy™ _!_ ") towards the gym.

the meeting goes smoothly (save for a few snarky comments from the team about you surprise appearance on television), and you're quickly dismissed with a simple _make sure you guys aren't late tomorrow!_ from the two adults.

exiting the second karasuno gymnasium (and what you consider to be your fourth home, as you've been inside this very room for almost everyday since a year ago), you walk alongside with the third years, placed in between sugawara and daichi, asahi to sugawara's left. kageyama walks ahead of you four, his hands in his pockets and looking straight ahead with a heavy look on his face.

"kageyama seems more wound up then usual..." daichi notes, and you all see hinata run past you before— "ah, there he goes."

"oi, kageyama! if you act like tha tin you teens, you'll end up with wrinkles on your forehead!" hinata scolds his partner right by his side. 

" _haah?!_ "

"tomrrow, we're gona beat the grand king and... we're gonna be on tv, so you should practice looking pleasant."

"get off my back!" kageyama barks at hinata. "we'll win the match. we have to win, or we can't continue onward!" with this, hinata jumps up in excitement, clearly powered up just from his fellow first year's words.

"they're sure confident," daichi comments. you're all quite for a moment, but he continues his words. "suga. asahi. we're gonna survive tomorrow's match too."

" _right._ "

"then," you walk slightly ahead of the trio, then turn around to face them. "i'll be cheering on you as always!" the three of them slowly smile, unable to supress the happiness they feel by your words. 

" _let's go!_ "

* * *

after changing out of your tracksuit and laying on the bed, resting for a few minutes, you immediately set out to finish all the preparations for the match tomorrow. you quickly unpacked and washed everyone's towels and hung them out to dry; meanwhile, you made your lunch for tomorow, packing a few containers with the leftovers from the large batch of snacks you've made and stored them in the fridge with a sticky note on the door so you wouldn't forget it. 

after checking everything in your mental to do list, you finally laid down on you bed and opened your phone to catch up with everyone. 

**we love head** is now active

**[puddinghead]**

kuro i hate you

**[bedhead]**

what did i do now??

**[puddinghead]**

i forgot how tiring matches are

i don't even wanna know how tiring it'll be tom

**[bedhead]**

you didn't even move as much i did today

i had to block and receive and chase the ball more than u do

**[puddinghead]**

being a setter is tiring too

i wanna play a game later but my fingers are sore...

it even hurts to type

**[bedhead]**

then just rest instead of playing!!

you're still young!!

you're still growing!!

AND EAT MORE MEAT THIS IS WHY YOU'RE STILL SO THIN

**[puddinghead]**

you're just one year older than us...

**[bedhead]**

must be nice to still be young

youth, y'know??

**[puddinghead]**

but you are??

stop acting like you're a generation away

you're not even close to 30 years old

**[flowerhead]**

nah kenma, he's right

tetsu old

tetsu grandpa!!

tetsu ancient relic??

tetsu the last surviving dinosaur???

**[bedhead]**

ur rlly pushing it now

**[flowerhead]**

(๑ゝڡ◕๑)

**[bedhead]**

fine i forgive u bc ur cute or wtvr

**[puddinghead]**

kuro have you seen my towel? 

it's not in my bag

**[bedhead]**

didn't i already told you that i have it

i'll wash it later with mine

bring some snacks tom as payment

**[puddinghead]**

k

i'll ask my mom to pack an extra bento

**[bedhead]**

thnx

i'll be able to live tom

**[flowerhead]**

you guys still don't have a manager??

**[bedhead]**

nah

**[puddinghead]**

nope

**[bedhead]**

no one wants to help us

:((

**[puddinghead]**

it's prob because of u

**[bedhead]**

what

excuse u, i'm actually popular!!

**[bedhead]**

i think,,,

**[puddinghead]**

you think??

u know

it's annoying to hear my classmates talk about you honestly

something as simple as walking in the hallway

annoying

**[bedhead]**

[name], c'mon speak up

don't be shy

you're still the only one for me

;)

**[flowerhead]**

k

then why don't u have a manager by now,,

**[bedhead]**

that's a foul, [name]

how dare u pour salt into our wounds

**[puddinghead]**

i doubt they'd be of help anyway

i'd rather not have a manager

since they're likely to be some fangirl

**[flowerhead]**

hmm

maybe try for first years?

they may not know much about mr hotshot over there

**[puddinghead]**

i heard from lev that someone from his class was talking about kuro and yaku

so no

**[bedhead]**

they did??

**[puddinghead]**

yeah...

**[bedhead]**

i'm more popular than i thought

doesn't matter when no one wants to be our manager

:((

**[flowerhead]**

sucks 2 b u

btw

we might have a 3rd manager soon

hehe ♡

**[bedhead]**

stop it

we get it

just stop hurting us already

**[flowerhead]**

(๑ゝڡ◕๑)

* * *

**june 3, monday**

just like in yesterday's match, the atmosphere in the entire gym echoes with chants and cheers for today's opponent: aobajousai high school. 

datekougyou's cheering squad consisted of their few remaining players who weren't able to be on the court, along with students that were enough to equate to one entire class. aobajousai, likewise, filled an entire section just for their cheering squad, smack dab in the middle area right in front of the stairs.

there just seems to be a _tiny_ difference.

if you had to describe one word for each team's atmosphere, the word _intimidating_ would be perfect fo datekougyou. if their predominantly loud and deep voiced male cheering squad wasn't enough to send goosebumps trailing across your skin, then their players are sure to send shivers down your spine with _fear._ they exude such immense aura and presence that you felt so intimidated, even if you were just on the bench as the team manager. you could only imagine the pressure the team had to endure and deal with on the court.

fortoday's atmosphere, the word _dramatic_ seems to be a suitable one-word description.

" _KARASUNO, FIGHT!!_ "

"OSU!" 

"FIGHT!!"

"they've definitely got plenty of spirit," shimada makoto, one of the wing spikers on the karasuno neighborhood association team, notes out loud with an amused expression. it seems as if they're trying to combat the tension of the rival's cheering by making themselves louder... _ah, a true pro-gamer move. i'm so poud of my bois._

despite being able to hear the team from the court and all the way up where you're standing, it doesn't deter the multitude of aobajousai high school students and supporters from continuing their loud cheers. there doesn't seem to be a decrease in numbers on their cheering squad compared to yesterday (in fact, it seems to be the opposite as they've filled an entire area all by themselves); however... they're everywhere.

"oikawa-senpai!!"

"good luck!!"

seijou's stupid captain's stupid fangirls are _everywhere_ in this gym. in fact, there's three right beside you, gushing on and on about stupid oikawa and his stupid hair while waiting for the official warmups to begin.

you're dumbfounded as to how you managed to successfully escape the boys before one of them tries to initiate the "ritual" before coming up here, but somehow, for some _fucking_ reason, you cannot escape oikawa.

not yesterday. not even today.

ah, yes. after the horrorfest that was yesterday's events after the team's second win for this year's interhigh preliminaries, you drifted off to sleep with oikawa as your last thought, and you woke up with oikawa as your first thought of the day. on the way to school, you thought about oikawa. on the way to the venue, you thought about oikawa. the team had been talking about oikawa, and even other players' conversations were about oikawa.

stupid oikawa tooru. 

just then, the gym explodes with shouts and screams; anticipation and excitement quickly fills and echoes in the air, intense and burning. the match just started a few _seconds_ ago, but the first point had already gone to aobajousai high school. 

it starts of with tsukishima's serve, and a player from seijou receiving, bumping it to oikawa, to suddenly

"IT'S A SUDDEN SETTER DUMP SHOT!!" you see his mouth move, with given how far up you are from the court and how loud everyone else is, you can't hear what he's saying, but you're certain that it was something annoying to pump up the tension and pressure for the team.

you retract your previous statement. 

the perfect word for today is _annoying:_ his sudden setter dump was annoying. his fangirls are annoying. oikawa tooru is annoying. his stupid words from yesterday are annoying— and the fact that your mind cannot and would not stop thinking about him is extremely, undoubtedly, _annoying._

_"i told you you'd like it!" he beams at you, his hand holding exactly thirteen (13) standard sized, glossy finished photos of never-before-seen photos of your adorable cousin, phil, from that day he taught the kids at the volleyball classroom on how to receive properly. he hands to you the top layer from the stack: it's a photo of which phil's crouching down to receive the ball, his eyes wide as he's looking up at the ball above him. he looks absolutely adorable, and you'd like to place these photos on the wall of your bedroom, framed if possible. if this is the first photo, then what about the res—_

_"buuut, of course this isn't free," he quickly lifts the hand that holds the tiny stack of photos up in the air and places it right beside his head. with a smirk, he looks down at your annoyed, knowing expression, then leans down enough to have your lock eyes with him, your faces just a few inches away from each other. "i did say that it's for you,_ _but first..._

_"let's make a deal, [name]-chan."_

* * *

e x t r a ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

* * *

 **neko nyaan** is now active

**[yakkun]**

wow i am so tired

**[inuocat]**

me too!!

i didn't expect our matches too as long as it did

**[THIS IS LEV!!]**

I WANTED TO BE THERE TOO!!

THIS IS SO UNFAIR!!!

I WANTED TO PLAY IN THE COURT TOO!!!

**[yakkun]**

shut up lev

**[acetora]**

shut up lev

**[shibanyama]**

quiet lev

**[yakkun]**

go practice receiving first, lev

**[yakkun]**

go serve successfully first, lev

**[vicecattain]**

maybe next time, lev

**[name nyaan]**

don't be mean to poor lev 

omg

**[manekineko]**

poor lev

**[teshiin]**

rip lev

 **[name nyaan]** changed to **[angel nyaan]**

**[THIS IS LEV!!]**

this may be too soon 

but i love you [name]-san

(mm*)

**[angel nyaan]**

i like u too lev!!

(⺣◡⺣)♡*

**[yakkun]**

LEEEEEEEEV!!!!!!


	11. 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕 ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a celebratory chapter for 2000 hearts on QuoteV (and my return for [hopefully] posting on a schedule!!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all, i apologize for leaving y’all without any update for the last five months??? but i’m free from my academics (well, until the 4th of january… they rlly skimped on the winter break smh) so here i am!! i hope this short but rlly sweet n fluffy special chapter hopefully makes up even a smol percentage of my absence!!
> 
> i'll be posting the newest chapter on sunday (saturday for some of u), so stay tuned!! stay safe y'all.
> 
> ☾ 𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚒

* * *

e x t r a ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

* * *

  
one particular sunday morning practice…  
  


 **[karasuno VBC officers]** is now active

**[captain]**

is anyone near the campus now?

**[pretty vice captain]**

i’m in the clubroom

what’s up, daichi?

**[captain]**

it’s just

how do i explain this

**[pretty vice captain]**

?

did he went afk?

**[pretty medic]**

daichi-senpai?

captain?

u were saying something?

**[captain]**

i needd you rhelp

al lof yo u

rihgt nwo

**[pretty manager]**

are you okay...?

hello?

**[pretty vice captain]**

[name], shimizu

can u both come quick

liek quick

actually cn you bring lots of tissues

?

**[pretty manager]**

i’ll be there soon

**[pretty medic]**

i’m about to enter the campus, but i can run down to sakanoshita

if you need anything

?

**[captain]**

tiSUUES

LOTS

**[pretty vice captain]**

[NAME] JUST PLEAS EOCME HERE SOON

**[pretty manager]**

i'm here

**[pretty manager]**

[name]-chan

do you have extra money?

if so, please buy lots of snacks

the kids need it

**[pretty medic]**

are hinata and kageyama on their eating contest again?

i’ll just buy a lot of snacks

**[pretty manager]**

thanks, [name]-chan

and hurry after you pay

they’re crying for you

**[pretty medic]**

crying???

like figuratively??

**[pretty medic]**

senpai?

**[pretty manager]**

you’ll know once you get here

hurry

* * *

whatever you expected wasn’t even _close_ to what the current situation is in the second gymnasium.

you didn’t expect to hear both daichi and sugawara’s voices yelling out at early in the morning (which you heard even from the clubroom); you didn’t expect a group of crying children to attack you once you opened the doors; and you didn’t expect to see hinata, kageyama, nishinoya and tanaka to be really cute when they were a child.

ah, yes. those four were the said group of crying children who attacked you by the entrance, making you drop the two bags of snacks you bought for them. 

“[name]-chan, you’re here!” you here sugawara call out for you. hinata and kageyama, somehow managing their way to climb on top of you when you fell down, are currently fighting for their place while the other two are hugging each of your legs, their cute and chubby cheeks making contact with the soft fabric of your sweatpants. hinata and kageyama’s unintelligible verbal fight blocks out daichi’s sudden scream in the background. 

_what the fuck is going on?_

thankfully, kiyoko grabs the tanaka away from your leg; nishinoya notices and follows them, allowing you to cradle both of the first years in your arms, momentarily dissipating their fight as you struggle to sit up. 

you see daichi and sugawara running towards you, their appearances disheveled and their hair looking as if they just woke up. is that… _spit stains on their jackets?_

“[name]-chan… you... finally… arrived,” daichi struggles to say while catching his breath. sugawara opens his mouth to say something, but he notices something in the background and quickly runs over towards the stage where— _is that tanaka on the edge of the stage?!_

in your arms, you feel hinata and kageyama fight once again. with a sigh, you set them down before taking each of their tiny hands and holding them in your own. _it’s so weird now that_ my _hands are bigger._

no, dear mind, what’s weird is that the volleyball club turned into _children._ well, all, except the third years and you, despite being a second year.

_why am i even trying to rationalize this..._

as you stand up, you feel someone hug your legs. looking down to your right, you see kageyama looking up at you, his big eyes quivering with light and hope. without any prompt, he pulls away from your grasp to place both of his hands up, like he wants you to… _c-carry him?_

“uhm, tobio-kun, do you want me to...” you trail off as you crouch down. hinata takes advantage of this and runs to launch himself unto you, his short arms wrapping around the side of your neck as his face leans in closer before finally settling on leaning in the slope of where your shoulder and neck meets. 

kageyama, noticing this sequence of events, tugs on your sleeves harder and harder until you tumble back down unto the ground, allowing him to once again climb on top of you and fight hinata for the third time. 

_this is too early for me,_ you think as you covered your eyes with your free arm. 

* * *

“so, captain, what you mean to say is that they were normal when you first came into the gym, but when you returned from the bathroom, they turned into… _children_?”

daichi sighs and uncharacteristically slumps over the table. his words are muffled as he doesn't bother to move his mouth from the surface of the table, but it’s intelligible enough for you to understand. _yes, [name]-chan, i never expected this either._

“but, how come [name]-chan is normal?” kiyoko asks beside you. you shrug and shake your head as you take a bite of your sandwich, wanting to regain your energy after more than a few hours of “playtime”. 9 children are way too much for just 4 people.

wait a minute...

“where’s asahi-senpai?” at your mention, sugawara slumps over the table beside daichi. he leans his head up to face you, telling that—

“he was knocked down by tanaka and hit his head. he’s laying down in the clubroom for now, but he seems okay.”

“ah… that's good news, at least.” your shirt gets tugged softly at your side, and you see yamaguchi, awake and away from his sleeping teammates-turned-children, looking at your sandwich with a hungry expression. his eyes are big and bright and _he looks so cute, i wanna pinch his cheeks!_

“hungwy.”

you quickly scooped him into your arms, placing him on your lap as you break off a smaller piece of your sandwich and give it to him. he takes it with a large smile before nibbling on it in tiny amounts. _he’s so cuuuute!!_

from the corner of your eye, you see tsukishima standing and hiding behind the corner of the wall. unfortunately for him, you can see him clearly with how his light hair reflects the sunlight, making it appear brighter. it’s almost like he has a halo on his head, which is absolutely _ironic._

“kei,” you called him by his name. “do you wanna eat as well?” 

he nods quickly but in small movements. you hold out one of your hands towards him, and he runs towards you with a smile on his face. _huh, maybe he_ was _an angel during childhood._

soon, you have both yamaguchi and tsukishima on your lap, eating your sandwiches. their weight, collectively, is really heavy (especially with how tsukishima is big for a child of his age) but your heart’s soaring through the skies with the visuals directly in front of you, so you consider this as an absolute win. 

“at least yamaguchi, tsukishima and ennoshita are behaved,” daichi sighs in relief. you recall sugawara’s story from earlier where kinoshita and narita somehow bullied tanaka and nishinoya with broken words, causing them to cry out loud. you laugh at the thought, slightly regretting that you chose to take pictures of hinata and yamaguchi instead. 

“ennoshita was so cute, he acted like their leader and kept scolding tanaka and nishinoya for getting on the stage!”

“wasn’t nishinoya a scaredy cat during his childhood? why is acting like the usual him, but shorter and lacking communication skills?” (“ _what’s the difference,_ ” sugawara mumbles across you, but you heard him clearly and chuckled.) 

“you should've seen hinata and kageyama fighting, they just never end,” you complained. 

for the rest of your half hour lunch break (although you all complained that you want it to be longer, but alas, the kids have woken up from their naps) you all shared stories and pictures of the child versions of your teammates. surprisingly, you all adapted and accepted the situation quickly, but honestly what else could you have done? report to the principal? the _police_? as if they’re going to do anything as well.

still, it made for a rather unique and utterly bizarre experience that you don’t think you'll ever forget. 

* * *

the loud ringtone of the alarm on your phone wakes you at six in the morning, the sun still shy and barely peaking through the shadows of the night. you feel yourself smiling, but don’t remember why… was it because of the dream you had? wait a minute, what _did_ you dream about?

the unanswered question lingers your thoughts as you get ready for the sunday morning practice. you expect some of the players to already be in the gym, especially hinata and kageyama, so you’re expecting a chat from daichi, as always.

half an hour later, you’re walking down the streets to your school campus, enjoying the serene atmosphere of a precious morning. you better savour the peace and quiet before you return to the ever-noisy and busy second gymnasium, home of karasuno's male volleyball club.

just before the small hill the leads directly to the gates of the school, you get a text from daichi. 

**[karasuno VBC officers]** is now active

**[captain]**

is anyone near the campus now?

* * *


	12. 𝚎 𝚕 𝚎 𝚟 𝚎 𝚗  ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, uhh, i committed multiple oopsies for this story, and i just wanna say that... i have made a severe and continuous lapse in my judgement, and i don’t expect to be forgiven. i’m simply here to apologize.
> 
> kidding aside, i really am sorry for not updating or posting anything for the last, what, half a year? it’s 2021 now, and all i hope is that we’re all healthier and happier than yesterday. at the end of the chapter is a journal link with what my plans for nice serve! will be (re-writing, modifications, etc.), so if you’re interested, please read it!

**june 3, monday**

it's somewhat nostalgic, this kind of silence after a match. 

especially last year, when the hushes of gossiping players about the rumored "flightless crows" and "fallen champions" were louder than your own thoughts. wherever you walked, you always heard those two nicknames in some form of conversation among players, staff members, and even in the crowd of people watching. also, with how the team wasn't as tight knitted and close to one another, you didn't really know how to comfort one another with words after a lost match.

but now, even though it's only been two months of knowing the first years, you know how heartbroken they are with their silence. even tanaka and nishinoya's quiet, and they're usually the most rowdy out of the entire group— but with the events of the last hour or so, you can't help but be at a lost for words as well.

" _way to go, seijou! push 'em back, seijou!_ " 

the crowd cheers as they watch the match between aoba jousai and senzeki. they're in the second set, match point for the former; if they win this set, they win the match, then advance to the semi finals where they'd fight against shiratorizawa academy, the veteran reigning champions of miyagi prefecture.

it's a tale as old as time, the battle of aoba jousai high school against shiratorizawa academy for finals. 

you can't help look at kageyama, hinata, and tanaka at the side, looking at them in the corner of your eyes as you see them (e)motionlessly look down at the match by the rails. a few seconds later, you hear a loud cheer and a long whistle, and you know that seijou has won already. _their second win of the day._

wordlessly, your teammates walk away from the rails and towards the exit, and you stand up to follow them. they don't talk about the match, nor do they make any sort of mention about it, just wordlessly walking together back to the lobby.

soon, you're back with the whole team as you collectively walk out of the building for the last time this year’s interhigh tournament. by the entrance, coach ukai stops and turns around.

"well, okay then," he starts. "let's go eat. my treat, of course." in front, daichi stutters for a bit.

"what? eat, sir? but..."

"just do as i say, and eat," he says nonchalantly as he turns back around and starts walking again. the team looks at each other in confusion but eventually walk forward to follow the older man.

the sign in front of the restaurant says that it's closed, but luckily it seems like coach ukai used to eat here frequently, so the team's able to eat peacefully without anyone other presence in the room. along with kiyoko, coach ukai and takeda, you chose the meals for the whole team as they continue to stare mindlessly.

they're still silent as the owner places the last plate on the table. coach ukai, once again, apologizes as it's right before the store closes, but she smiles and tells him that he always used to stop by at times like this. everyone's looking at the owner before looking at coach ukai, who steps up the platform and stands in front of everyone. you're seated in between nishinoya and tsukishima, right at the front of the table.

"if you put a lot of stress on your body when jumping and running, it can lead to strained muscles. the time now, after a game, the muscle fibers are kinda torn. you'll recover by eating. that's how you'll build up muscle." he takes a seat where he's standing, letting out a soft sigh before finishing his speech.

"that's how you'll get stronger. so eat up, eat all you've got." 

one by one, everyone gives their thanks for the meal and starts to eat. steadily, they take one piece from the side dish plates at a time, their pace of chewing getting faster and faster with thoughts of their loss still in their minds, undoubtedly.

go on, eat. slowly, but surely.

 _i don't think they're even aware of crying._ still, you can't help but softly smile at the sight of them, placing food in their bowls of rice when the plates near them are empty. tsukishima doesn't even scowl at you when you place something in his bowl, nor does nishinoya stop his chewing when you feed him directly when you notice his large plate going empty. when the owner places a new dish down, four hands reach in to grab a piece even before she places it fully on the table. you smile just a bit wider, your heart still aching but also warming with the sight of them. 

_it won't happen overnight, but you will definitely become stronger._

later after you've arrived at the comfort of your own home, receive a text from aoba jousai's ace, iwaizumi hajime.

**[iwaizumi hajime]** is now online

**[iwaizumi hajime]**

hey

your team was amazing today

they rlly gave us a challenge

i hope you got home safely

**[lastname name]**

good evening!!

yea, i'm currently at home rn

and congrats for your two wins today!!

i hope u win against shiratorizawa tom

but we'll definitely beat you next time!!

look forward to it!!

(๑ゝڡ◕๑)

**[iwaizumi hajime]**

i will

i mean we definitely will win next time too

**[lastname name]**

rest well for today, ace

(⺣◡⺣)♡*

**[iwaizumi hajime]**

thanks, [name]

you better rest as well

good night

**[lastname name]**

night night

（♥￫ｏ￩♥）

* * *

**june 4, tuesday**

tanaka had texted every second year to meet up at his desk in his classroom at lunch break to discuss something important. it wasn't unusual for you to stop by their classrooms, sometimes meeting up with kiyoko, and even as a whole team to eat together (although there will be some exceptions to that, notably a certain first year duo). 

"daichi-san said he's going to the spring tournament," tanaka announces to everyone shortly after eating. you're leaning against the window right beside tanaka, in front of you across the table is nishinoya, seated as well. in between them is ennoshita, and by the windows to your left are narita and kinoshita. 

"the spring high... preliminaries start in august, don't they...?" narita asks, leaning against the windowsill. 

"he said we're going," tanaka answers indirectly. "we don't have time to be upset over our defeat." 

"knowing our teachers, though, they'll persuade them to quit so they can focus on their college entrance exams," ennoshita comments after a few seconds of silence. he's seated with the chair facing towards him, his arms over the top rail of the chair. he leans closer to rest his chin atop his hands, his form slouching. you know ennoshita isn't one to be expressive, but his eyes tell you that he's upset at the thought. _everyone is._

"true," you lean back further, smiling sadly. "but... i think they would want to keep playing more."

"i think suga-san would be all ' _i'm staying! i told you before, i'm staying!'._ he's unexpectedly stubborn." you giggle at kinoshita's imitation of sugawara. he's surprisingly childish, especially for a third year.

"ah, then asahi's all..."

"haha, that's totally what asahi would..."

you blank out on the conversation for a while, your thoughts focused on what tanaka said. most likely, the third years are also having their own meeting right now.

with daichi being the captain, he's in a position where his actions and decisions are highlighted, so he's in a tough position. _would he say that he's ready to give up his role as the captain of the male volleyball club?_ your heart aches at the thought. you're not the closest with daichi, but at times it seems like you and him understand each other the most, especially when someone needs to be the responsible adult in that moment. 

you doubt sugawara would willingly quit the club right now. as stated by kinoshita, he's surprisingly stubborn, in contrast to his usual gentle (well, sometimes) and patient (you _swear_ that he's a patient boi) nature. _i don't think asahi-senpai would quit as well, not when he just came back..._

_ah, but the teachers..._

"are you worried, [name]-chan?" nishinoya asks from across the desk. you turn to look at him looking back at you with an unreadable expression. it's the same expression he had when he looked at asahi before the datekou match. "it's rare to see you looking troubled, honestly. what's going to happen to us if our guardian angel is troubled..?!" his stare is unwavering and focused on you, and while his words may be joking, his eyes aren't.

you chuckle at his words, grateful for the distraction anyway. "i'm a bit worried that the teachers would force them to quit, honestly." you turn to look at the opposite side of the room, facing the windows and seeing a murder of crows flying across the sky. "i think they'll say _'club activities won't matter', 'it isn't worth it',_ or something along those lines."

tanaka turns to you, opening his mouth to say something, but his eyes widen as he stands up suddenly. "kiyoko-san!!"

nishinoya stands up as well and gets close to the window sill, immediately saluting the older manager. "kiyoko-san, you look beautiful today as well!"

"[name]-chan, can you come with me?" as usual, she ignores the two and looks straight at you. 

feeling the stares of the rest of your fellow second year teammates, you let out an evil laugh and say your greetings with the eyes and aura of a winner. "then, i'll be heading off. _bye losers.”_

you try your best to ignore the stares you receive as the two of you walk down the hallway, heading towards the clubroom beside the gym to gather supplies for the recruitment posters. while you do get a few people to stare at you (you're quite popular, even though you hate the unwanted attention), it's not usually this amount where almost _everyone_ is staring at you. _kiyoko-senpai's impact... how does she ignore or get used to it, though?_

"do you know anyone in your year who isn't in a club?" she asks. you hum and thought about it for a bit before answering.

"i think everyone's in a club already, to be honest. it's something that the teachers would bother a student for if they don't have any sort of extracurricular activities by second year. plus, isn't it better to ask or look for a first year manager, senpai?"

"ah... well, that's true," she smiles at you, then turns to look forward. "i guess we can ask around in the first year classrooms." _i think they'll just stare at your beauty, though._ you giggled inwardly at your own thoughts. ~~it's true though.~~

"we can also ask the first years if they know someone, though i can't say that kageyama-kun nor tsukishima-kun would recommend anyone." you and her share a laugh over that sentiment. "still, i'll ask around." 

a small wave of silence surrounds you as you continue to walk side by side. at this point, your mind has blocked the stares from the surrounding students, mentally focusing on one thought right now.

"ne, senpai, have... the rest of the third years talked about—"

"we're all staying, [name]-chan," she turns to look at you, smiling radiantly. "it's not like we're going to leave you and ennoshita on your own to handle them. no way. we're not that cruel."

without thinking, you twist your torso to hug the older girl. you let out a relieved sigh, unaware that she let out a cute croak with your sudden act of affection. still, you felt one of her hands comb through your hair softly and gently, telling you that they'll still be together in the club with you and the rest of the team till the end.

nearing the clubroom, you hear shouts coming from the gym. two _very_ familiar voices, in fact. sharing a knowing look with kiyoko, you nod as you head upstairs to the clubroom while she walks towards the gym. the shouting stops shortly after, most likely because of her presence.

_well, then! time to gather supplies for the manager recruitment posters~!_

* * *

"we lost in a match of dominance." coach ukai's voice booms in the wide space of the gymnasium. his voice is solid and stern, but not in the same manner as if he's scolding someone. "seijou was strong. our strength didn't match up to theirs. that is the reality of our end result— and, today marked the end of the interhigh preliminaries.

the overall winner was shiratorizawa. seijou was the runner-up." _is that why oikawa's been inactive lately?_ he hasn't called in the middle of the night to tell you a conspiracy theory he learned online, nor has he even texted anything to you since yesterday. although, to be fair, it’s only been two days. 

not that you're keeping track or anything, it's just that the two of you have an... _arrangement_ of sorts that haven't been addressed or fixed yet since it was brought up. _ugh, he's invading my thoughts again… i’ll just ask iwaizumi-san later._

"just in our prefecture alone, there's already a team above seijou. we've got no choice but to get stronger— and i think you guys already know what our next goal is."

your mind replays tanaka's voice from earlier. _the spring high tournament._

"as far as high school volleyball tournaments go, its scale is on par with interhigh's. third years are also able to compete, since now they hold the spring high in january, and for those that do, it is literally their ' _final battle_ '." at the reminder of the last match for your seniors, you eyes naturally look for their reaction. _they look like they're sure about their decisions. i'm glad._

coach ukai shares how he's jealous of the current batch, stating that _in his time_ , the match occurred in march, so the third years weren't able to come. ~~a proper boomer~~. "well, anyway, let's have the captain get you fired up with some words of encouragement."

with the coach's mention, daichi stands up and turns to look at his teammates, hesitating on his words slightly before finally opening his mouth. "karasuno has only stood on that stage once. _we're going back there again._ to tokyo, and the orange court."

everyone shouts with excitement and their fighting spirit revived. you feel at ease with how noisy your surrounding has become. yes, it's loud and noisy, and most of the time here in this gym you're surrounded with shouts from hormonal teenage boys at the top of their lungs, but somehow, it also brings you comfort, and you can't help but smile at the sight of them smiling and excited for their next battle. 

_it may be the third years' final game, but that's all more the reason to do everything that we can...!_

suddenly, takeda opens the doors and flops onto the floor, panting and wheezing as he slowly gets up from his position. ignoring the shouts of concern from the team, he turns to look at them and shouts, "we're going, right?!"

"w-where?!" hinata asks, confused.

"your nose is bleeding!" kageyama notices. with his comment, you stand to reach for the medicine box when the club advisor's words stop you momentarily. 

" _to tokyo!_ "

"by tokyo, do you mean... nekoma?!" _ah, i felt kenma sneeze with shouyou's mention. hopefully he's with yaku-san, i now know that he always carries tissues with him._

"we're going to have a practice match?" kageyama asks, his tone slightly excited. takeda nods at him, but adds a bit more surprising information.

"but this time, it won't just be with nekoma. it's with the fukuroudani academy group." you audibly gasp, catching the attention of a few of your teammates. "as a group made up of several schools in kanto, including nekoma, they apparently conduct rigorous practice matches and the like on a regular basis, but this time, thanks to nekoma's coach _nekomata_ , karasuno's also going to be allowed to participate in their joint practice matches!!"

"groups like that have always been made up of guys who seem to have built up connections between them, so unrelated parties aren't allowed easily... you guys should be thankful to coach nekomata. and to the persistent requests of your sensei, of course." at ukai's mention, takeda panics slightly with embarrassment.

"i really didn't have anything to do with it! i mean, just dropping the name 'coach ukai' is enough to..."

" _THANK YOU!_ " the team thanks loudly in unison anyway, standing up quickly and bowing deeply at the older male. takeda smiles at them, then continues with his speech.

"over the past few years, we've ended up growing estranged from the schools in our prefecture with which we'd previously been on good terms. additionally, there are many schools where the coaches who were friendly with coach ukai back in the day have since changed.

we definitely have to make the most of this opportunity!"

the team celebrates with the great news the club advisor brought in with loud cheers, their enthusiasm doubled since daichi's speech earlier. 

"so i'll be able to... see that setup close again, will i..." kageyama smirks, fired up from the idea of seeing kenma and his setting. _poor kenma will think that he's having a cold,_ you sighed in your head.

"this time, i'll really come through with the defense!"

"hoooooh!! i'm gonna bust on into that city boy alliance!!"

_ah, maybe the entire nekoma line up will catch a cold today._

takeda continues to inform the team that they still have to accept the invite, but of course the team's going to accept. quickly after, he runs back out of the gym, claiming to have a meeting to attend and to report back the team's accepted invitation.

"well, i should probably inform koutarou about this..." you mindlessly comment out loud. to your right, your fellow second year teammates lean in closer with what they heard.

"haaaah? who is it this time, hmm?"

"do you know anymore volleyball players that we know of, [name]-chan?"

"for the last time, you don't look intimidating to me. you look stupid, ryuu." at your comment, tanaka scowls before regaining a normal expression. "and to answer yuu's question, most likely."

"THEN WHO IS THIS 'KOUTAROU' BASTARD, HUH?!" nishinoya's shouting catches the attention of the rest of the team, who now turn to look at you. 

"ah... well... he's someone like ushijima-san, i guess..." you inform vaguely. although, with your words, they might have a sense of who it might be. 

soon after, daichi calls for the team to start on their run, and you head over to kiyoko to work hard as well, excited for the news. 

* * *

**june 5, wednesday**

you spent the remainder of your lunch break lurking by the first year classrooms. you split up with the third year manager as she approached the first two classrooms, and you with the remaining. hopefully, you'll be able to reach 1-5 with the limited time you have.

_i think tobio-kun's in class 1-3, while the other two are in one class. was it 1-4? i think so._

standing in front of the first classroom, you let out a nervous sigh before knocking loudly. the door slides open and you're faced with... someone you don't know. you sighed inwardly, _why couldn't it be tobio-kun..._

"[n-name]-senpai! what brings you h-here?" his greets you with a stammer. you try not to react to the audible gasps and whispers of the class as you quickly scan through the people inside. 

"i'm sorry for intruding at your lunch break—" ( _"i-it's okay, senpai!"_ ) "—but i was wondering if tobio-kun is here?"

"he just left get something from the vending machine, i think," someone else informs you. it's hard to keep a straight face when they're looking at you with wide eyes and a flushed face, but you're trying; still, you couldn't help but let out a slight giggle at their expression.

"is that so, then, i'm sorry for the intrusio—"

"[name]-senpai?" you hear kageyama ask from the hallway outside the classroom. with a turn of your head, you see him holding a carton of yoghurt milk in his hand, the straw already poked in. he looks surprised to see you in his classroom, based on his expression. 

"tobio!" you greet him with a wide smile, happy that you're able to talk to someone you're familiar with. you walk towards him with a slight skip. "can i talk to you for a second?"

"a-ah.. sure. i'm sorry for making you wait."

"it's fine! im just here to ask you if you know anyone in your class who still isn't in a club?" his head tilts at your question, but that doesn't stop him from sipping from his yoghurt drink. _he's so cute..._

he takes a few seconds of continuous sipping before he pulls it away from his mouth to reply. "i don't know my classmates that well." _ah. i figured._

"well, it was worth a shot asking," you sighed. "kiyoko-senpai and i are looking for someone to join as a manager, since i'm partly a medic and a manager for the team. here, take this," you hand him a poster that includes a brief summary of information for the managerial position. "can you post this at the back wall of your classroom, at the announcement section?"

he nods cutely at your request, mumbling a confirmatory response before returning the straw to his mouth and drinking his yoghurt milk.

"ne, tobio-kun..." you start off. slowly, you reach for one of his hands with both of yours, softly caressing his setter fingers while in your grasp. "i'm glad you're coping well, i was worried when i heard you and shoyou-kun at the gym yesterday." 

at your mention of yesterday's events, he lets out a surprised noise and blushes, hiding the lower face of his face with the hand that's holding a now empty carton. "i... we, we were just—

"don't worry, i get it. if there's anyone who's really frustrated, it'd be you two." you tell with a giggle. "i'm just glad you're doing well." you squeeze his hand tightly, your thumbs still caressing the skin at the back of his hand. you let yourself enjoy this moment for a second, but you remember that you still have two more classrooms to ask.

"then, i should go and ask the next classroom. thanks, tobio-kun." you slowly let go of his hand, but he reaches to grasp one of yours in his hold.

"i-uh, i can... accompany you... to the... next classroom." his voice gets smaller and smaller with each word, but you managed to hear all of it. 

"okay then, let's go!" you switch the positioning of your hand so you're holding his hand (as opposed to him just holding yours) before leading him towards the next classroom. 

in the hallway, students' eyes flicker back and forth from his surprised form to your slightly nervous yet also happy expression. ah, and the fact that a smaller person is dragging kageyama _with their hands interlocked._

with a sigh, you regathered your nerves and knocked on the door to the 1-4 classroom, only to have the same thing happen. cue the gasp and the whispers, _especially_ the gasp when you asked for tsukishima and yamaguchi, and _especially_ the whispers when they see you holding hands with another boy.

"what am i looking at," tsukishima spats when he notices. "holding hands? with the _king_?"

ignoring kageyama's unintelligible responses, you quickly asked if either of them know of somebody in their class who doesn't belong to a club yet.

"i don't know anyone," was all tsukishima said. as for yamaguchi...

"i'm not familiar with them, either..." _ah... i expected it, but still..._

"are you quitting? are you bored of us? are you running away from your responsibilities, [lastname]-senpai?" tsukishima smirks down at you as he leans against the wall of their classroom.

"for you, i might just quit right now." you joke, giving tsukishima a smirk of your own before explaining the situation properly. 

"well, next year i'll be a third year, and since i'm partly a manager, i'm only used to just half of the duties. i'm sure i'm able to learn from kiyoko-senpai for the entire duties, but it'll be easier for me next year if i have someone i can already depend on." you sigh by the end of your sentence. you tug on the hand that's still interlocked with the first year setter, placing the rest of the posters in that hand while the other's extended to give a poster to tsukishima.

"why should i accept that, it has the king's elitist germs all over it. a mere commoner like me shouldn't—"

"if you don't shut the fuck up tsukishima kei, i swear to—" you sighed, stopping yourself and giving up. you turn to yamaguchi and hand him the poster instead. "tadashi, can you post this at the back wall? by the announcement section?"

he nods at your request. you gently pull your hand away from kageyama's grasp to wrap your arms around the freckled boy's waist, leaning into his chest and mumbling a _thank you_. you pulled away quickly after, not wanting to embarrass him further.

"i'm surprised you even thought about asking us, [name]-san," yamaguchi chuckles, his expression shy due to your actions. 

"well, i kind of expected tsukishima to not have any other friends, but you on the other hand..."

"no, we're both loners unlike you, senpai," tsukishima snickers from above.

"don't lump poor tadashi-kun in with you, hotaru. that's low," you smirk up at him. in between you, yamaguchi panics as he turns frequently to his friend and to you, unsure of who to defend or support. 

"well, my job here is done, anyways. i think the bell will ring soon, so i better get going." with your words, tsukishima leans away from the wall and starts to walk back into his classroom. yamaguchi greets you a goodbye before following his friend. kageyama offers to walk you to your classroom, but you tell him that you don't want him to get in trouble. he reluctantly accepts your words and greets you with a simple _see you later, [name]-senpai._

_i'm just glad they're doing okay now._

you start to walk towards the staircase, passing by the classroom's windows and seeing tsukishima looking back at you with an unreadable expression.

like a reflex, you poke your tongue out at him childishly. you barely caught his small smile before he turns away from your direction, placing his headphones on his head as he waits for the next class.

* * *

later at practice, takeda explains the tokyo training trip further, discussing with the team how long it'll take and what other plans they have before it, such as a practice match with hinoyama high school. 

"that said, i assume you already know that you have final exams next month?" beside him, coach ukai lets out a small surprised noise. immediately, you turn to look at tanaka and nishinoya, who look like the light in their eyes have been extinguished with takeda's reminder of the exams. kageyama and hinata, as well. _they're all sitting together... and they're all in the starting line up... what unbelievable circumstances._

"you know that, _right?_ "

_ah, they all turned their heads away from takeda-sensei at the same time!_

"it seems that tokyo's test period is basically the same as ours, so that means the joint practice session will take place right after. so, as you might already expect, there are supplementary lessons to attend for any subjects you fail..." 

with the club advisor’s warning, tanaka and nishinoya makes a run for their lives, but daichi's quick to his feet and appoint ennoshita to catch the rowdy duo. the other two, however, are rooted in their spots, shivering with shock and terror.

"a fai-failing grade!! WHAT NUMBER IS THAT?!!" hinata stammers to ask. (“ _you’re stuck at_ that _point?!_ ” sugawara yells back in shock.) 

you feel someone tug at your sleeves. with a quick turn, you see yamaguchi looking at kageyama in panic, his right arm extended to tug at your attention. 

"kageyama's not breathing!" 

behind you, ennoshita catches tanaka and nishinoya by their collars, dragging them back in the group. he makes them sit while the rest of the team surrounds them. you tell yamaguchi to return to his place as you take over for kageyama, making sure to check if he’s still breathing (just _barely_ ) before taking out a relief balm and placing it near his nose. he regains color shortly after, but he continues to shiver and look shocked.

"seeing as we also told you guys to balance club activities with your studies, you've got to give us results reflecting that," sugawara comments. beside ennoshita, tsukishima chuckles in his usual cocky manner.

"i never get failing marks." 

"me and [name] are in college preparatory classes,” ennoshita says, still holding unto the back of the collars of the (failed) runaways. “i don’t think either of us have scored below eighty on our tests.”

yamaguchi and asahi share their comments of how they need just a bit of work as to not fail. you turn around to reply to asahi that he tends to second doubt his answers (thus he doesn’t get high scores a lot), but you see yamaguchi holding an AED, making you laugh.*

"if- if we beg the vice principal with everything we've got, then he'd definitely...!"

"how about staving off a failing grade with everything you've got, first?" tsukishima smirks and snickers at their current predicament.

“even if we get the vice principal's permission, if you have supplementary lessons, they take priority…“ takeda worriedly sighs and explains to the short middle blocker, who gasps and runs over to coach ukai, desperate to get help. 

"hinata,” sugawara approaches the tangerine. “you'll probably be alright even if you don't agonize over it."

"since starting high school, i've practically never scored in the double digits on sixty point quizzes, but do you really think i'll be alright?" hinata holds unto sugawara’s arm in distress.

_what?_

"eh?"

"huh?"

"pfft."

while continuing to look after kageyama (who's very much still frozen and not moving at all), you simultaneously hear the sugawara telling off tanaka and nishinoya to stop doing bodhisattva faces, takeda trying to convince himself that the four idiots “can do it if they try”, and coach ukai telling him to keep it together in the background. 

you sigh as you continue to feel for kageyama’s heartbeat on his wrist, specifically his radial pulse. _please don't make me use the AED._

"ah, the sound of anguish," you hear tsukishima laugh.

_well, at least someone’s enjoying this and is in a good mood._

after practice, which didn’t really go as smoothly as it normally would (considering what just happened in the last hour or two), daichi signals for you to come to him by the walls of the gym. 

“we need a game plan,” he sighs to you. “i hate to admit it, but they’re vital players. it’ll hurt a lot if they miss out on this golden opportunity.” you lean back against the wall next to the captain. 

“can’t they catch up if they ever do get the supplementary exams?”

“in that case, they’ll only get half a day’s worth of practice. less, even.” he sighs once again, rubbing his hands against his face in distress. “i’ll talk to them about not sleeping in class and stuff, but i’m more worried if they don’t understand their lessons at all.”

“chikara-kun can tutor ryuu-kun and yuu-kun. as for the first years... “ two pairs of eyes hone in on a certain blonde in the team. 

there’s only one blonde in the team. and he’s an absolute asshole.

“maybe yamaguchi...”

“ahh, but i’m worried if they’ll just be a bother... ” simultaneously, you both let out another sigh. that’s like, what, the fifth? sixth? hundredth time this day. after a few seconds of nothing, he turns to look at you with a hopeful expression.

“aren’t you in the top twenty five or something?”

“uh,” you hesitate slightly. you have a feeling of where this is going. “yeah, but i didn’t check my rankings in the last midterm exams...”

“maybe you can help out the first years? i’m not saying you’re going to tutor them, but if you can _help_ then maybe—”

“i’ll try to look for my study guides i made last year, i guess.” 

daichi moves to ruffle your hair lightly, but still, you can feel his gratefulness towards you with just that simple action. “thanks, [name].” 

as you wait for the team by the gates of karasuno, daichi reminds the four to focus on their academics so as to allow them to participate in the tokyo training camp. you figured that they’ll take longer than usual, you begin to draft a text that you’ll head on without them (you have a ton of assignments due, unfortunately) when you saw tsukishima and yamaguchi walking down towards you. 

“are you guys going home now?” you yell out to them. yamaguchi waves to you while tsukishima ignores your question, opting to turn his head away and insert his hands into the pockets of his pants instead. how… tsukishima-like. 

after quickly sending the text to the karasuno VBC officers group chat, you jog up to the duo as they come closer to the gates.

“are you guys going straight down passing the sakanoshita store, or are you turning right?” you asked. yamaguchi tells you that he’s turning right, presumably to practice his jump float serves at shimada mart, while tsukishima only says “ _straight_ ”. he barely nods when you tell him that you’ll walk with him until a few more blocks, but you don't mind as you place yourself behind them, letting the duo converse by themselves as you check your phone. 

and of course, the tokyo boys have spammed your messages once again. 

**[intellectuals only 👅]** is now online

**[big brain]**

[name]-san, good evening

has bokuto-san contacted you at all?

**[smol]**

good evening, keiji!!

not really…

what’s happening?

**[big brain]**

we just finished a practice match for the interhigh preliminaries

and he ran off immediately after

he missed a lot of his spikes

**[smol]**

oh no

is he sick?? 

or injured?? 

kou :((

**[big brain]**

no, it might’ve been his mood again

he seemed fine at lunch earlier

it might be because no one was responding earlier

**[smol]**

earlier?

**[big brain]**

scroll back, [name]-san

and scrolled back you did.

**[intergalactic brain]**

hey hey heeeeey!!

coach just confirmed the dates for the group training camp!!

I’M SO EXCITED!!!!

I CAN’T WAIT TO SPIKE YOUR FACE, KUROO!!

NO WAY WILL YOU BLOCK ME NOW!!!!

**[intergalactic brain]**

i just wished that [name]-chan was here :((

but since it’s summer, that measn

means

mOVIE WEEKE?!?!

WEKE

WEEK

MOVIE WEEK

LETS SET THE DATE ALREADY!!!!!!!

I WANNA SEE [NAMEEE]-CHAAAN AGAAAAIN

**[intergalactic brain]**

is nobody online?????

????

??

/?/

/  
GUYS??

 **[intergalactic brain]** call failed

 **[intergalactic brain]** call failed

 **[intergalactic brain]** call failed

**[intergalactic brain]**

●︿●

is nobody online?????????

●︿●

●︿●

but we talk after classes everyday 

●︿●

●︿●

●︿●

oh… _oh. oh no._ your phone buzzes as new messages come in, so you quickly scrolled back to the most recent chat.

**[big brain]**

in any case, i’ll try to find him

he’s probably somewhere near

are you busy, [name]-san?

**[big brain]**

i’m not sure if he has his phone

but if you can, please call him

**[big brain]**

ah, no need, [name]-san

found him

[[pic](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ei7kTEeU8Aci20u.jpg)]

 **[big brain]** is starting a call

 **[big brain]** call dropped

**[big brain]**

ah, he said he wants a group video chat later

*demands a group viceo chat later

should i tell him no, [name]-san?

**[smol]**

i’m free later!!

at least, after i cook dinner

speaking of dinner, you suddenly remembered that you don’t have anything in your fridge right now, having used most of your groceries in making the boys’ lunches and snacks during interhigh, and you nearly emptied out your fridge in making your lunch for today. 

_but the grocery store is so far away from my apartment... and it’s nearly pitch black already._

you let out a big sigh, unaware that tsukishima and yamaguchi stopped in their tracks so you can catch up to them.

“is there something wrong, [name]-san?” yamaguchi moves to walk beside you.

“i just realized that i don’t have anything to eat later,” you groaned. “i finished up my groceries for my lunch today.” 

“then just buy groceries?” tsukishima slows his pace to walk on your opposite side, his large frame easily towering over you. him and his stupid 188.3cm height.

“i didn’t bring enough money today. the grocery store is so far away, i can’t be bothered.” you let out a groan in despair. “guess i’ll starve later.”

your phone buzzes again, and you look down to see akaashi sending a picture of bokuto and him, the former looking like his usual self beside the latter, who’s posing a rare smile.

“but you’re so small already, [name]-senpai,” you can hear tsukishima smirk from above. “just buy enough at sakanoshita. then, maybe you’ll gain height enough to look past my shoulders.”

_since when did he start calling me by my name?_

“suuure, i’ll buy stuff there and walk out with no one waiting for me outside—”

“i’m flattered with the amount of trust you have in me, [name]-senpai. i’m really touched.” you look up to send a glare his way, but you’re surprised at how he’s leaning down to place his face close to yours; it’s close enough to see his long eyelashes up close, individually outlined with the bright light from the lap behind his head. when you don’t say anything for a few seconds, he sighs and tells you to “ _just go already, i’ll leave you if you don’t come back in five minutes._ ”

rushing down the hill, you quickly step into the store and grab the ingredients of the easiest meal you can think of: fried rice. _it’s perfect, i have leftover rice from earlier!_

coach ukai comes out from the back as soon as you placed down your impromptu groceries on the counter, which was just a small carton of eggs, a can of spam and a few bags of chips and nuts as snacks. 

“do... do you think the four idiots will pass their exams?” he asks you hesitantly. “takeda-sensei was losing it earlier, and he’s the _teacher_.” he sighs after his sentence, his hands mindlessly scanning your items to tally your bill. 

“well, if they try hard enough, i think so. i’ll make sure to help out, as well.” with your response, he lets out another sigh as he nods, this time in what seems to be relief. his next words are cut off by kageyama screaming outside, which you can hear all the way where you’re standing. despite being inside the store, the volume of his voice is _astronomical._

“PLEEEAAAASE!! TEACH US, DAMMIIIIT!”

coach ukai smiles at you and tells you to wait a second, leaving behind the counter to walk out of the store and— “ _SHUT UP THE HELL UP!! YOU’RE BOTHERING THE NEIGHBORS!!_ ”

he returns to scan your items after letting out a big sigh. there’s way too much carbon dioxide emissions coming from the karasuno male volleyball club members for today. 

“please don’t worry about it too much, coach.” he looks up from the items to send you a smile. 

“i have trust in you, i can rest easy. for a bit, at least...” you chuckle at his words, nodding when you hear him announce you total and pulling out a few paper bills that cover the entire cost. he greets you a good night as you exit, and you politely yell back a response. 

“took you too long,” tsukishima grunts. he’s the only one left outside the store waiting for you.

“where are the others?” you asked as you both start walking forward.

“what, can’t stand to be alone with me, [name]-senpai?” you roll your eyes at his response, slowly getting used to just letting him talk shit instead of biting back.

“i heard tobio-kun all the way inside. i can also hear how reluctant he was in asking you for help.”

“me? teaching them? for all you know, he could’ve been asking yamaguchi.” you exchange looks with him, his innocent expression facing your poker face. you turn your head back towards the front after a few seconds later.

“tadashi’s an angel. he can’t even be compared to you, satan.”

“but he likes _soggy fries_.” 

“and i heard you like dinosaurs,” you smirked. from the corner of your eyes, you notice him jumping slightly at your mention. “listen, i have the limited plushie from that dinosaur movie premiere last month, i’ll give it to you if you help shouyou-kun and tobio-kun in their studies.”**

“are you bribing me right now?”

“do you want the limited edition fifty centimeter dinosaur plushie or not?”

“you better not tell anyone about this deal, _senpai_. not even yamaguchi.” you lock eyes with tsukishima, his wary eyes meeting your determined ones.

“deal.”

* * *

**june 8, saturday**

after today’s practice, you head over to the grocery store after barely making any meals for the days that lead up to now. ~~you’ve suffered enough, you just wanna eat.~~ while waiting in line for the checkout, your phone dings with a freshly delivered message.

**[director ennoshita]** is now online

**[director ennoshita]**

hey

can you come over to tanaka’s house for a bit?

they’re not rlly being cooperative rn

unless you come here

**[prod. name]**

i mean

sure

but i’m currently in line for grocery checkout

so it might take a while

**[director ennoshita]**

it’s fine

what time are you able to come/

*?

**[prod. name]**

i’ll drop these off my apartment quickly

i’ll grab the study guides too

while i’m at it

but i’m guessing like

10-ish minutes?

can u hold down the fort while i’m away?

**[director ennoshita]**

got it, boss

“[name]-chan!” a cheery female voice suddenly erupts from behind you; you look up above you to see tanaka’s sister, saeko, smiling at you widely. you feel her arms wrap tightly around your waist and squeezing you for a good five seconds before letting you go.

“saeko-nee-chan! you’re back from work?”

“yeah! i’ll be drinking for a bit, come join me!” she pulls you inside by grasping your arm with both of her hands, leading you quickly towards the living room. you can hear ennoshita’s voice all the way from here.

“i’m only here to smack ryuu-kun and yuu-kun’s heads, sorry nee-chan.” she pouts at your words but lets you step out to slide open to what you remembered was her little brother’s room. 

“that’s not the sort of thing that would be on the test at all!!”

“geh, you’re studying?!” saeko jumps backs from shock. simultaneously, everyone’s heads turn to look at the two new people who entered the room, their surprise doubling when they see tanaka’s sister and you together. “you feelin’ alright?!”

“what’s that supposed to mean!” the younger sibling asks with an accusing tone, his scrunched face relaxing when he notices your presence and jumps up from his seat to hug you. “ _[name]-chan_!! you’re here!!”

cradling his head when you stumble a bit due to lost balance from the impact of his hug, you wave your greetings to everyone and smack the heads of the two idiots who were responsible for your presence in the room today. 

“‘sup, nee-san!!” nishinoya bows whilst rubbing the area on his head that you smacked.

“oho! you’re as cool today as always, yuu!” 

“thanks!!” he loudly and cheerfully greets back. on the other side of the room, narita and kinoshita meekly greet saeko, apologizing for the intrusion in her home. yanking off tanaka’s arms from around your waist softly, you head over to where they seat and stand behind them. 

“man, tanaka’s sister is cool...” “yeah.”

“[name]-chan, did you bring those today?” ennoshita asks once he walks over near you. the two in front of you converse with tanaka about his sister, but you mindlessly block out their conversation as you opened your bag to fish out the study guides you made for them, the contents of each different from one another, and hand them over to ennoshita’s outreached hand.

“i only came to give you guys these, i doubt i’ll be of much help anyway.” tanaka and nishinoya immediately shout their protests, both of their bodies moving to block the door that leads to your freedom.

“move.”

“ _no!_ you barely got in here!” “spend some time with us, [name]-chan!”

“if you don’t pass your exams, i’m never giving either of you a hug ever again.” at your warning, they slowly move away and sit obediently right next to the sliding door. 

“yes….”

after quickly greeting goodbyes and goodlucks to them (and laughing when ennoshita pouts and groans on how quickly your visit ended), you head out to go back home. on the way, your phone buzzes once more. 

**[alien boi 👽]** is now online

**[alien boi 👽]**

4pm tom at cafe luna

be better be there

**[out of this world 👩‍🚀]**

well hello to you too

i’ve been doing well, thanks for asking

**[alien boi 👽]**

did

did yOU MISS ME

ARE YOU AMD

MAD

?????????????????????

MY [NAME] MISSES ME

(≧∀≦)

⊂（♡⌂♡）⊃

**[out of this world 👩‍🚀]**

y did i even bother

* * *

**june 9, sunday**

_"if we win, you do as i say for three days."_

"we won," oikawa sits across you, his face impassive, surprisingly.

you expected him to be all smug and annoying about your team's defeat against them, but here he is, looking at you as if he was forced against his will to invite you to a cafe to sit down and discuss about the situation. he has his arms crossed in front of his chest, and with the way he's looking down at you (since he's, y'know, _184cm,_ tall bastard), you can't deny that he looks intimidating as hell. 

what you're truly intimidated and scared about, is your " _deal_ " with the person in front of you. _i still can't believe what he asked for... how bold is he? is this an act of courage or stupidity, i can’t tell._

"i know," was your simple reply. you can't really think of a good retort, not when 1) your team lost, and that fucking hurt; and 2) your mind is a mess in front of him. it's _annoying_. _he's_ annoying _._ he's been annoying your mind since the day he asked to make a deal with you, and that was more than a few days ago. 

"then? what's your answer?" he asks with a tilt of his head. he still looks intimidating, even more so with one of his eyebrows raised high. _does he look like this on court? is this what others see him as? i don't even wanna look at him anymore..._

"well, it seems rude of me to say 'no' after knowing that we lost, isn't it." at your words, he chuckles slightly and opens his mouth to say something, but you quickly cut him off. "ah— but i still need some kind of assurance on what covers our, uh, _'deal'_. like conditions, and stuff."

"i was about to say that," he smirks. "i already prepared something like that, [name]-chan, so don't you worry." _that's surprising_. he opens his bag, pulling out a folder ( _wow_.) and carefully separatingm out a pristinely sharp and crisp piece of white paper, handing it to you with the blank side up. 

your heart starts to beat just a tiny bit faster. what is this, _a written contract?_ and how serious is he, there isn't even a single crease in this paper! 

you take a deep breath in as you slowly flip the paper, anxious to see what's written on it. you feel like you're figuratively and literally at the edge of your seat in anticipation.

your life depends on this contract, you know.

"is this…”

“yes, [name]-chan?” he asks with a tilt of his head, his right arm lifting a cup to take a sip of his drink. he looks sophisticated, but clearly, that’s only if you don’t know oikawa tooru.

“... _crayon?_ "

"i was helping takeru with his drawing homework, don't judge me for it—" at your tone , he immediately becomes defensive and childishly angry, even slamming his fist on the table.

" _is that a drawing of us on the bottom?!_ "

"with the house and the court outside? yeah, don't we look cute? i'm really proud that i was able to perfectly draw what i envisioned our future house would look like, [name]-chan. i should be an architect for my second career."

 _what did i even expect?_ you sighed outwardly, slamming your forehead onto the table whilst holding the crayon-written contract up with both of your hands. your brain couldn't even register the test written with the colorful writing material, much too distracted with the random drawings that frame the written conditions. 

you lift your head up to look at it again. it seems like he did put in a lot of effort, with how each condition is written in a different color; the penmanship itself is legible, but with how it’s written in fucking _crayon..._

"you know, with the immense level of chemistry and tension between you and me—"

"like hell we have something like that."

"that's so mean, [name]-chan!" he pouts cutely and slumps on the table as well, his head level with your own. you hear him mumbling how he gives up on continuing his sentence, and you feel bad for only a split second when you see him sit up and lean in closer to you, his palms flat on the surface of the table and his face leaning down close to yours. 

" _so, do we have a deal?_ " he smirks; his eyes intense and his voice so low and husky. you almost don’t recognize his voice, and you’re certain that you wouldn’t have it if it wasn’t for the physical proof right in front of you. 

“...yes.”

“great!” he beams, his posture straightening in excitement and anticipation as he fishes a crayon from his pencil case and hands it to you. 

it’s your favorite color.

“please sign above your name in the bottom right~” with a sigh, you do as he says, but not before crossing out the last condition written as _“i agree to dedicate the rest of my life to oikawa tooru“_. he’s pouting at you when he notices what you did, but mentions nothing of it.

“then, moving on. are you available tomorrow?”

“well, aren’t you quick to action.” he playfully rolls his eyes at you. “nothing special really for tomorrow. why?”

“it’s iwa-chan’s birthday! we don’t have practices on mondays, and i want you to come with us for celebration.” 

“is the whole seijou volleyball team joining for the celebration?” his eyes light up at the mention of his teammates and nods enthusiatically. “then no thanks, i don’t think i belong...”

“but it’s his eighteenth birthdaaaaay,” he whines, slumping over once again on the table, childishly slaming his fists in a fit of tantrum. “and iwa-chan has been asking about you a lot as well!” your eyes go big at that mention. 

“eh? he does?” you unconsciously lean in closer in anticipation. “what does he ask you about me?”

“[name]-chan, you’re so mean! how come you never react like that about me?!”

“just answer the question!!” his eyes squint in suspicion before he sighs in defeat. his head turns away and he breaks eye contact with you.

“actually, it was iwa-chan who asked me to ask you to his birthday celebration. don’t tell him i told you that, please!!” he returns to look at you when he says the last bit, his hands creating a loud clap as he places them together in a praying position. “iwa-chan will _actually_ kill me!!”

“well, in that case...” his eyes slowly widen at your words. “i’ll come. after practice, anyway. text me the details?”

“[name]-chan, how come you don’t react like that when i ask you to—”

“oh, and your balance for this deal is now two days out of three.”

“ _[name]-chan!!!_ ”

* * *

e x t r a ☆ﾟ. * ･ ｡ﾟ

* * *

despite your mention of talking about your team’s participation in this year’s fukurouddani group’s tokyo training camp with bokuto and akaashi, the captain and vice captain of said school’s volleyball team, you decided to keep it a surprise. 

hopefully, though, kuroo hasn’t leaked your school information to the other half of the tokyo boi squad.

**[bedhead]**

i haven’t

ur trust in me is amazing, [name]

**[flowerhead]**

it’s just a precaution

!!

don’t @ me

(◔_◔)

**[bedhead]**

(｡♥‿♥｡) u

u sure love to keep secrets from ur friends 

dontcha

lol

**[flowerhead]**

u sure haven’t gotten over that

dontcha

lol

**[bedhead]**

knowing bokuto

he’ll be so heartbroken 

but also rlly excited when he sees u on the training camp

he’ll be all

[NaMe]-ChAn Is In tHe VolLEyBalL WorLd As WElL  
?!?!?111111?!?!?11111!1

**[flowerhead]**

lol he’s so cute

kou baby

(●´□`)♡

i’m so excited to see them!!

i haven’t seen them both in sO LONG

I MISSED THEM SO MCUH

**[bedhead]**

don’t u miss me too??

?????

**[flowerhead]**

i do

????

**[bedhead]**

then r u excited to see me too??

**[flowerhead]**

hell yeah!!

**[bedhead]**

♡ (Wヮ￣) ♡

**[flowerhead]**

oh srry forgot to tag

**@[puddinghead]**

i was talking about kenma bby

**[bedhead]**

**●︿●**

**[puddinghead]**

missed u too, [name]

gaming sleepover soon?

**[flowerhead]**

definitely!!

* * *

[[journal link to my plans for 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎! this 2021!](https://www.quotev.com/numblyinspired/journal/7546724/2021-plans-for-%F0%9D%9A%97%F0%9D%9A%92%F0%9D%9A%8C%F0%9D%9A%8E-%F0%9D%9A%9C%F0%9D%9A%8E%F0%9D%9A%9B%F0%9D%9A%9F%F0%9D%9A%8E)]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *AED or advanced external defibrillator is essentially a portable shocking device used for cardiac arrest (heart attacks). you know the typical thing in medical shows where they’d shock the patient when they flatline? yeah, that (called a defibrillator) but portable!  
> **tsukishima and dinosaurs: there’s a live reading of this scenei where hinata bribes tsukishima with tickets to the jurassic world movie which include a mini dinosaur figure! here’s the link to the live reading if anyone’s interested! [link]  
> fun fact: i was going to put a really corny nickname for oikawa, but my mind was suddenly remembered of the song [alien boy by oliver tree], and i just made that as his nickname (for now kjskjs). it’s a good song, listen to it if you’re interested! plus, some of the lyrics can somewhat apply to oikawa’s character? 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! you can find me on quotev [numblyinspired] and on tumblr [himitsukki]!


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